


Within, Without

by PhantomPhan16, VicenteValtieri



Series: The Companions [2]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Wars - All Media Types, Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-27 01:51:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 23,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12071226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomPhan16/pseuds/PhantomPhan16, https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicenteValtieri/pseuds/VicenteValtieri
Summary: When Starscream wakes up after stasis sleep from Cybertron to Earth he finds he is not alone. He must discover the mystery of the organic lifeform's presence and why he so quickly cares for him.





	1. Chapter 1

When Starscream woke from his millions of years of slumber, he wasn't prepared to find something else in his pod with him. It was a tiny, organic creature.

It appeared to be in stasis sleep as well with long brown... fur? fuzz? coming from it's head. No armor just cloth like Vosnian royals used to wear sometimes.

He picked it up by one limb, faceplates twisting in disgust. What was this... thing?

It woke up and stared at him with royal blue optics.

Starscream held it away from his frame. "What in Primus's name are you?"

"Human," it squeaked. It sounded male so he.

"Ugh. Disgusting." Starscream was about to drop it, but he felt reluctant to harm the creature. He set him on the floor. "Go away. Shoo."

The human looked around. "Where?"

"Anywhere. Wherever you came from. You can't stay here... Oh, Primus, unless you're infesting the Nemesis. We're going to have to fumigate. You'll have to leave."

"I don't know where I came from. I woke up here! I don't even have a name!"

Starscream hissed through his denteas. "Well, you can't stay here! You'll get stepped on or poisoned! When Megatron finds out we have a pest problem, he'll order the whole ship fumigated."

He felt distress, but... it wasn't his own distress. He just felt annoyed.

"So go away!" He shooed it.

The tiny thing started for the door.

Starscream turned over and tried to go back to recharge.

"Hey!" He groaned. "What?" "Your door won't open."

Starscream sighed and got to his pedes. He stood up and put his servo on the door lock. "There, it's open now."

"Thanks." He started out the door and froze, staring around him with wide eyes.

Starscream closed the door again and went back to berth, putting his pillow over his helm.

Why was he feeling fear when he wasn't afraid?! This was all very strange.

There was a jolt of panic as monstrous pedes shook the ground beside his small, soft body. He raced back to Starscream's door and banged on it with his tiny fists, wanting to be out of the endless hallway more than anything.

"Open up! Please! Hey!"

Starscream was moving before he was thinking, opening the door to let the organic nuisance scamper back in.

It latched onto him, shaking in terror.

Starscream pried it up. "All right, all right! You can't just wander around in here, though." He looked around and spotted a small box filled with junk. He emptied it and set the organic into it. "There. You'll be safe in here."

“You’re just gonna leave me in here all the time?”

“Until I discover what you are and decide what to do with you, yes.” The Seeker rummaged in his desk. “Here, make a bed for yourself out of this.” He put a polishing cloth into the box. “And I suppose you need something to eat…”

“Yeah, please.”

Starscream dug out a box of energon sweets and put one into the box as well.

“Do you have a name?” The human asked.

“Starscream. Missio Starscream.” The Seeker replied.

“Well… Nice to meet you, and… I like your name.”

“Thank you.” Starscream looked down at it. “Well, if I’m keeping you- Primus knows why- I’m going to have to name you.”

He watched his- the human biting on the treat.

“I’m going to call you Cas.” He finally said. “It’s as good a name as any.” He straightened. If he was awake, Megatron and the others would be too. He would have to report. “Don’t leave your box, Cas. I’ll be back later.”

"Okay." He paused at the door for one last look then went to report.

He was the first officer on the bridge and so had the pleasure of giving Megatron an acid-laced greeting.

Something was... different... about his leader. Not glaringly obvious, but he picked up on it.

He wondered… “Has something happened, mighty Megatron? Something unusual?”

“That is not your concern, Starscream!”

Something HAD happened. The Seeker decided to press a little harder. “I heard skittering in my recharge. I think we have pests.”

"Then deal with it instead of bothering me about it." A smack to the helm accompanied these words.

“Apologies, oh MIGHTY Megatron.” Starscream sweetly spoke, leaning back in his chair, sarcastic and sassy if it killed him. “But I thought you were interested in the running of your ship?”

“The simple problem of pests is below me, Starscream."

The Seeker hummed and turned back to his work station.

They had arrived at the world of Earth, chasing the Autobots. Others began coming in.

Starscream and Soundwave worked in tandem to field the new troops and prepare an assault. Megatron was still distracted by something.

He was even more snappish that usual. The cycle passed with preparations finished the next day, and Starscream returned to his quarters. Cas was asleep, but his expression wasn't very restful. He looked... uncomfortable.

Starscream dug out more rags and anything else he could find that was soft and made Cas a nest in the box, laying him on it.

His human-THE human woke and blinked up at him sleepily.

“I’m probably going to have a visitor tonight.” Starscream snapped. “If I do, you’re to stay quiet and out of sight, understand?” Their glorious leader often came for some stress relief before an impending battle.

The tiny thing flinched at his tone and nodded meekly.

Starscream sat at his desk. “If you behave, I’ll let you out for some exercise.”

Cas settled down in his new nest, sighing in comfort at the softness. He nibbled a bit at the leftover treat but finally just waited for the Seeker to let him out of the box.

Starscream lifted him out. "Don't make a mess." He warned the organic.

"I won't." He wandered around, exploring, and yet Starscream found that if he focused he was aware of where Cas was even without looking.

It was strange. It felt like being bonded to someone.

Before he could think anymore footsteps alerted him to Megatron's approach.

He grabbed Cas up, put him back in the box, and put the box on a shelf. "Be quiet!"

"Okay." He huddled down into his nest.

Starscream splayed out on the berth when Megatron came in and looked up from the datapad he had been using as a prop. "What is it, oh mighty one?"

The warlord came to him and kissed him roughly. Something had happened for sure,... and it probably wasn't good.

The Seeker purred. It was going to be a two-round night from the way the warlord was acting. A rough go-around to take the edge off, then something much more to the Seeker's taste.

Rough, however, was putting it mildly. Sure Megatron had been rough plenty of times, but this time... it was MEANT to hurt.

"Hey! Hey! Stop!" Starscream pushed him away. "Ease up, I'm not a tank, you brute!"

Megatron snarled, and grabbed him, pinning him with his weight and moving harder. "STOP!" Cas scrambled in his box. What should he do? What should he do?!

Starscream hissed and snarled, his infamous voice yowling. He opened his servo and extended his claws, giving Megatron a swipe across his faceplates.

The warlord yelled in pain, reeling back.

Starscream hissed and put himself into a corner, drawing up his pedes for a kick if Megatron came for him again. "What is wrong with you?"

The tank blinked for a long moment, servo on the scratches. "You scratched me."

"You were HURTING me!"

"You've always enjoyed rough play. I didn't do anything I normally don't."

"Frag you didn't! That was way rougher than normal, like you were trying to seriously hurt me! Get out!"

"Calm down! I'm sorry, okay? Just... calm down!"

"I'll calm down when you leave. I told you rough was fine but actually hurting me was out. Now leave and don't come back."

Megatron stood. "May I return later?"

"I'll think about it. Now go!"

He left, and Starscream sighed. "Don't let him come back."

The Seeker looked up at Cas's box. "Excuse me?"

"He'll just do it again. Draw your line and don't redraw it."

"It was a one-off." Starscream told the human. "He won't do it again."

"You can't be sure of that. Why take the risk?"

"Because I love him. I have for vorns." Starscream told the organic. "He gave me hope when my world was dark and I've stood at his side ever since."

"And if he does it again?"

"Then I'll throw him out. But it doesn't matter because he won't do it again. We've been through too much together."

"I hope you're right."

"Of course I'm right. What would you know about it? You're just a human." Starscream touched a dent in his plating and hissed.

"That doesn't mean I don't feel, jerk."

"Yeah, well, go to recharge or whatever it is you do."

“Sleep, but it’s basically the same thing, I think.”

Starscream nodded and stood up, hissing. “I’m going to wash. Good night, Cas.”

"Goodnight, Starscream."

Starscream cleaned himself off and returned to berth.


	2. Chapter 2

In the morning, he and Megatron didn't speak of the issue, though the warlord seemed to be trying very hard to be polite.

Cas sat in his box and tried to keep himself occupied. It... was extremely hard.

"I'm bored." He told the Seeker when he came back. "I need something to do."

"Like what? I don't have anything your size."

"I don't know. I just have to do something during the day other than sit here."

"Well I was about to go flying. I suppose I could take you with me."

"Please!" Cas scrambled at the sides of the box, trying to climb out.

Starscream picked him, feeling an emotional warm come as he touched the human. "All right." He gently tucked Cas into his cockpit and left to fly.

Optimus woke from recharge with something nestled into his neckcables. Softly, he raised a servo to it, afraid it might be an over-bold glitchmouse.

It was soft and grunted at his touch in a decidedly male voice.

He gently curled his digits around it and picked it up, raising it to his optics.

It was... he wasn't sure other than organic.

He sat up, still holding it, and examined it more closely.

It stared fearlessly back.

"What are you?" Optimus questioned it.

"Human. You?"

"Cybertronian. How did you come to the Ark?"

"I woke up here to you poking me and picking me up."

"Who are you?"

"I.... don't know. I don't have a name."

"Hmm. Perhaps Perceptor or Wheeljack might have some ideas." He set the human on his shoulder. "Let's go see them. They should be waking as well."

"All right." Optimus went first to Wheeljack.

Wheeljack was holding another of these strange organics by its heel as he scanned it. "Optimus, look at this! It was in my berth when I woke up!"

“So, it’s not an isolated event.”

“Really? You too? I named mine Sparkler- what about yours?”

"Please don't call me Sparkler, and please turn me right side up. I think I'm gonna be sick."

“Aww… What’s wrong with Sparkler?” Wheeljack turned him upright.

“Besides everything? I’m naming myself. I’m Hand.”

“Hand? That’s dumb.”

“Han for short.”

“Okay, Han. What about you, Prime."

“I was hoping to find out more about him.” Optimus turned his helm to look at the small human. “Do you mind being named?”

"Not at all, better than being called 'you' or something all the time. Might as well have a name."

“I’m going to call you Maximus, then. Max for short.”

"Maximus?" "Maximilian?" "I like that better."

“Very well. Let’s check with Perceptor, Wheeljack.”

"You got it, Prime. Anyone else have 'em?" "I don't know yet. I came to you first."

An angry voice raged through the Ark, swear words so foul they left the air a little blue as they passed through it.

“Sounds like Ratchet’s awake.”

“It does indeed.” Optimus sighed at the mention of Wheeljack’s on and off again lover. “Let’s go see what’s the problem.”

Ratchet had another human by the back of the shirt, holding it at arms' length.

This one was howling obscenities right back at the medic, thick drawl complicating the words.

"Ratchet?" Wheeljack said, approaching his mate.

"Is this your idea of a fragging joke, Jackie? Look at this thing!" He shoved the human in the inventor's face. "It was lying on my knee strut!"

"Of course not. Prime and I have one too, no idea where they came from."

Ratchet and the human slowly calmed down as Optimus and Wheeljack filled them in on Han and Max.

"So what will you name yours, Ratch?" the inventor asked, nuzzling the medic.

"I'm not naming it! It can name itself when it's good and ready!" The medic grouched. "And it's time for coding boosters! You all need new virus protection-" He went off on a tirage as he headed for the medbay.

"Aww, but love..."

Ratchet waved him off. "Get your afts down here for those boosters!"

Wheeljack sighed and followed his mate while Optimus went to round up the others. "You don't have to be so mean about it, Ratch."

Ratchet humphed and kissed the Inventor gently. "I'm sorry, Jackie. It's been a rough millennia."

"But it's over now. I mean, we made it. We're safe here... aren't we?"

"Hah! If you believe that, then pigs will start flying!" The human shook his head.

Ratchet glared at him as he drew the inventor close. "I hope so, Jack." "Does that mean I can finally take him back, Ratch?"

Ratchet kissed Wheeljack gently. “All right. But if they do attack, he goes right back into stasis, okay?”

"Okay." "What are you goin' on about? Who's he?" "Our sparkling." "What?" "Our baby."

“Oh!” Han and Leonard exchanged looks.

"I'll get him, Jack."

Wheeljack sat down on the berth and put Han on the table beside him.

Ratchet soon returned, and the inventor showed the two humans the sparkling in the stasis tube.

Leonard studied it. He felt as if he was remembering old skills.

He touched the glass gently. "Does he have a name?" he asked. "Not yet."

Han put a hand on the glass as well. "Hello..." He whispered.

Ratchet and Wheeljack smiled. "All right. Time to put him back where he belongs," Ratchet said after a moment.

Wheeljack lay back and Ratchet opened up his abdominal plating, exposing the grounder's gestation tank.

Han and Leonard looked both horrified and amazed.

Ratchet carefully thawed the sparkling and replaced him in the tank, gently connecting him.

Once done he closed Wheeljack up. There we go, nice and safe."

Leonard hummed thoughtfully. "Good incision, nice clean up... You may be half-decent after all."

"Don't insult him," Wheeljack scolded. He nuzzled his mate happily.

Leonard harrumphed. "That was a compliment!"

"Half-decent isn't a compliment." The others soon had their code boosters, and introductions were made with their humans. Optimus and several others went to explore, and Max sat in the driver's seat of Optimus' cab even though he wasn't driving, though he somehow knew that if he had to he could.

Above them, a tricolor jet soared.

"Starscream? No. No no no!" Meanwhile Cas was thoroughly enjoying the flight when Starscream banked. "Whoa! What's up?"

"Autobots!" Starscream flew for the clouds and circled. "We found them!" He stayed in the bank, looking down. "I don't know if they spotted us."

"Auto who?"

"Autobots. Our enemies. We threw off their shackles and came here to finish the job when they ran like the cowards they are."

"Why not to just leave them alone if you beat them before?"

"We almost didn't beat them. If we let them go, they'll come back with a stronger army and shackle us again. We can't let that happen!"

"Whoa, okay, easy. That truck down there is one?" "Not just one, that's their leader, Optimus Prime."

"Why don't we go talk to him? See what they want?"

Optimus honked in disbelief. "Talk to Starscream? He'd shoot me on sight. I hope he didn't see us. Let's just go back to the Ark."

"Well he probably heard you."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go back to the Ark, and hope he thinks I'm just a vehicle. If he doesn't look too closely, he shouldn't recognize me.”

"Looks like he's leaving," Cas said,

"Good. Let's follow him." Starscream shifted his engines to stealth mode.

They followed Optimus, and Cas was soothed into a light doze.

Max kept his eyes on the clouds and caught a flash of red against them. "Optimus? I think he's following us."

"Fraggit! I can't lead him back to the Ark. Hold on!" Optimus veered away and sped towards a nearby meadow in the opposite direction of the Ark. Starscream followed as Optimus stopped in the meadow. "We might be talking after all. Stay close, Max." Starscream watched a human climb out of the Prime.

"Cas? Look at my screen." He told the dozing human. "Is that another human?"

"Yeah it is. He's... handsome." "Cas!" "Sorry."

Starscream grumbled and circled. "Are they just stopping?"

"They're just watching us." Optimus reverted to root mode and stood as if waiting. "Should we land, Star?”

"I don't really see a choice. We've been spotted, and we can't just fly in circles."

He landed, and Cas climbed out, to the surprise of Optimus. Max was struck by the beauty that jumped down from the plane.

He shook his head, getting it together.

Starscream transformed and stood tensely. "Why are you here, Starscream? Was Cybertron not enough for Megatron? Is it a crime that we seek to live away from our ravaged homeworld in peace to have our families?"

"Oh, don't give me that slag, Prime, I lived through your 'Golden Age.' Do you really expect us to believe you wouldn't come back?"

"If I had a million vorns, Starscream, I could never match the might Megatron controls now. Just leave us be to our sparklings."

Starscream crossed his arms, not believing him.

"You won't believe me no matter what I say. You have every reason not to considering all that's been done to you." He picked up Max. "Go focus on your reclaimed home, Starscream, leave us to our new one."

Starscream picked up Cas and took to the air. "I can't make promises, Prime."

"I don't expect you to. I just want you to leave, take back what Sentinel took from you, and leave us to our peace." He transformed, letting Max in.

Starscream watched them go and tossed Cas gently into the air, transforming around him.

His human clung to the seat. "Please don't do that again. That was terrifying."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't think of a better way to do it. I'd never let you fall."

"So... what do you think about all that?"

"... I don't know. When I killed Sentinel Prime, I hoped it would end the war for good, but the Autobots just kept coming back. I don't know if I should believe this."

"What are sparklings?"

"Children, Cybertronian children."

"And he's the type to lie about something that important?"

"I don't know." Starscream admitted. "I don't know Optimus. I only knew Sentinel."

"Well from what he said as the end I don't think Optimus liked him very much either."

"I suppose not. He was a military leader, Sentinel. I was one of his concubines. A prize from a campaign."

"Oh, Star..."

"It was a long time ago, Cas. Just another piece of my sordid past."

"I'm still sorry." "Thank you. It seems that perhaps you and I are not alone, if the human with Prime was a guess." "He was handsome." "Cas." "Oh, come on, cut me a little slack he's the first other human I've seen, and what's the harm in admitting even an enemy's good looks?"

Starscream was quiet. "Optimus is handsome, isn't he? I've always had a thing for convoys, even if they are over-sized brutes."

"Well maybe that one's not a brute."

"You really want to see that other human in person, huh?"

"That, and I guess I like to try to see the good in people if I can."

"Yes, well, I have a perfectly good relationship that's going through a rough patch. Sorry."

"Good for you, I'll just be lonely."

"...Maybe Megatron has a human too. If the Autobots have them, it stands to reason everyone does."

Cas sighed. "Well I guess that would be the one to start with."

Starscream felt bad, suddenly, for forcing his choice on Cas.

Cas poked the control panel, grinning. "Think he's cute?"

"Who? Of course he is!"

His human giggled, a nice, carefree and happy sound. "Well lets go. Maybe others will start to come around, too."


	3. Chapter 3

Starscream landed in the Nemesis and kept Cas in his cockpit. Soundwave was looking furtive as he came out into the sun.

"Soundwave? Something wrong?"

"Soundwave: Fine. Starscream: Returned from flight. Information gathered?"

"Yes. The Autobots are here, but I don't know the location of their base."

"Search: Successful. Starscream: Report to Megatron?"

"Yes." He entered the ship and went to speak to Megatron.

Megatron nodded when he told him about seeing Prime. "Of course the Autobots are here, Starscream, we traced their signature!"

"Yes, my Lord." Cas squirmed in his cockpit. Well he supposed now was as good a time as any.

"Megatron, have you noticed anything unusual of late?" Starscream leaned against his throne, one wing resting flirtily against his shoulder.

"Unusual how?"

"Oh, nothing... Just something that might have appeared while we were in stasis. Some new pest or animal..."

Cas kicked him for the pest comment. "Stop stalling, Starscream. It's unbecoming."

Starscream sighed and leaned in. "Megatron, did you wake up with a human in your berth when we came out of stasis?"

The warlord became still. "Megatron?" He held up a servo. "Show me, Starscream."

Starscream put a servo to his cockpit and opened it. "He's skittish, and after the way you behaved last night, he won't want you to hold him."

"He was-" "In a box, not watching... but he could hear." Megatron growled even as Cas composed himself and stepped primly onto Starscream's palm.

Starscream stroked his head with his foredigit. "Well? Do you have one as well? I thought they could be mates, if you did."

"... I do not."

"Oh." Starscream pursed his lipplates. "That's... that is what it is." He set Cas back in his cockpit.

"What what is?"

"I... I hoped you had one, because Optimus Prime does, and Cas is lonely. He wants company."

"See if others have any, but a little organic's loneliness is not my concern."

"Of course, Megatron." Starscream dared to lean forwards and peck him on the lips. "I'll speak to the other officers."

"Go, I will come to you tomorrow night." "Of course." He left and wondered who to seek out first.

By chance, he ran across Hook, the Decepticon medic.

"Starscream, uh... weird question for you." "Oh good, we'll trade weird questions because I have one for you." Hook nodded. "Okay, um, when you woke up was there anything... extra... with you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Starscream leaned on a wall. "Something organic, in fact."

"Really? So it's not just me?" The Seeker shook his helm.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Starscream touched his cockpit.

"He's not with me. Come on." Hook led them to his quarters.

Starscream let Cas out when the door closed behind them and Hook opened a drawer, revealing a human with dark skin and hair.

Starscream lowered his servo as the dark human climbed up, pausing at the sight of Cas. The Seeker preened as his human again moved as primly and gracefully as any Seeker, stepping from his servo to the desk.

The dark human wore a mask over his eyes. "Hey. Who's this, Hook?"

"All of our gestalt has one." Hook explained to Starscream. "Forge, this is Starscream's human."

"I'm Cas. Nice to meet you.":

"I'm Forge." The dark human addressed the area to the left of Cas and stuck out a hand. Blind, then.

Cas shook his hand, gently shifting him in the correct direction.

"There you are. Cas, nice name. So, do you know anything more about this than I do?"

"Probably not."

"Great. So, we're all clueless."

"Guess so."

They sat, companionably talking, for a few minutes. Then, Starscream picked Cas up. "We're going to see how far this has spread, Hook. Thank you."

"No problem." He tucked Cas safely back in his cockpit and headed out. "What do you think, little one?"

"Forge is nice, Hook's okay, but they're not what I'm looking for."

Starscream smiled. "And just what are you looking for?" "Someone kind and not overly controlling." Cas blushed a little. "Someone... dominant," he admitted to the Seeker.

Starscream chuckled. "Ah, I see we have the same kinks." He smirked. Soundwave was the next mech they found.

"Soundwave, I have a question for you."

"Soundwave: Listening. Starscream: Make haste."

"When you woke from stasis did you have a tiny organic with you?"

Soundwave's visor flashed. "Starscream: Come to Soundwave's quarters. Immediately."

Starscream couldn't help but tease him. "Oh, but Soundwave! You haven't even bought me a drink yet!"

Cas kicked him. "Star, don't torment the poor guy!"

Starscream chuckled as the telepath led him into his quarters and released his five cassettes... and the six humans they had, one for each of them. The casseticon's humans were smaller and less mature than Cas was, reflecting relative age- he supposed.

"Oh... I see." He opened his cockpit and brought Cas out.

"Humans: Appeared during stasis."

Ratbat, the littlest, squeaked as he lifted his tiny human to show Starscream.

"How cute," the Seeker cooed.

The littlest spy was Starscream’s favorite. Ratbat squeaked sweetly as Starscream picked him up and scratched his wings.

Cas smiled then turned to Soundwave's human. "Hello. My name's Cas."

"My name is Lucio. What a kickin' turn of events, right?"

"Uh... yeah."

"It's chillin, though. Sounders is one cool dude."

"Starscream's pretty great, too."

"Hey, Screamer, how's it kickin'?"

Starscream could tell they would not be spending much time with Soundwave's human, though the human that Ratbat was holding and playing with was all right.

Cas approached Ratbat now. "Hi," he said, smiling at the cassette.

Ratbat squeaked. "Hi!" He held out his human, a tiny male with white hair. "This is Salt!"

"Salt isn't really a name, dear." "Oh. It's not?" "No." "Okay. Um..." "What about… Akos." "Oooo. Yeah!"

Ratbat nuzzled the rechristened Akos’s hair while Cas talked to the twins’ humans. They were loud and broke into a brawl halfway through the visit, as did said twins.

That was their cue to politely excuse themselves. Cas sighed as he settled back into the Seeker's cockpit. "Lucio was.... um..."

“I didn’t like him either.”

"Okay good. I was worried it was just me. Anymore ideas, Star?"

"Not really." Starscream sighed glumly. "I just don't understand it. It seems everyone but Megatron has one."

"It doesn't make sense, unless..." Cas shivered. "Star,... could Megatron have... killed him?"

Starscream stilled. “If he was taken by surprise with him in his berth… I suppose yes, he could have.”

Cas pressed more firmly into the cockpit.

“You’ll be fine, Cas. He won’t hurt you, especially not when he realizes how important you are to me.”

"I hope so. I can't imagine. Do you think even woke up before...?"

"It might have been an accident. Megatron is a restless recharger. I've woken with him lying on me more times than I can count. If he rolled over onto him..."

"How awful." "I know, little one." Starscream rounded the corner and bumped into Knockout.

The red medic swept his optics over Starscream, as he always did. At least he knew to look and not touch. “Well, hello, herr kommandant.”

Starscream rolled his optics. "Hello, Knock Out." "Wow, obvious much, isn't he?" Cas quipped.

“You have no idea.” Starscream spoke on his intercom. 

“Starscream, you wouldn’t happen to have noticed anything… odd?” Knock Out asked.

"Odd? Like what?" "Something... hanging around when you woke up from your beauty sleep?"

“You as well?” Starscream hated to do this. “Why don’t we get out of the hallways and discuss this?”

“Certainly.”

“Don’t get excited.”

“Primus forbid, herr commandant! I’m pure as the driven slush!” He led them into his office.

Once inside Starscream reluctantly opened his cockpit, and Cas stepped gracefully into him his hand, holding him with pride and beauty that made him smile a little. Oh yes, very worthy of a Seeker.

The only thing that spoiled it was when Knock Out revealed his own Companion- a human just as handsome as Optimus’s- and set him on the desk. “Meet Cam, her commandant. He’s almost as talented as I am.”

"This is Cas," Starscream said, lowering his servo as his human's nod. Cas stepped into the desk.

“Hello.” Cam leaned casually on the desk tidy. “How are you, gorgeous?”

Cas gave him an unimpressed look. "All full on cheesy lines, thank you."

Cam chuckled. “Okay. I’m Cam, as Knock Out said. Do you know anything about how we got here?”

"No idea. I woke up here with some knowledge, but none of it as to how we got here.”

“Ugh. Same here. Knock Out and I have been trying to work out where I came from, no luck.”

"I get the feeling it'll just remain a mystery."

“Does everyone have one?” Knock Out questioned Starscream.

“It seems like it.”

“Well, that’s going to be interesting.” Knock Out stroked Cam’s head. 

Cas yawned then apologized, but Starscream was relieved as it gave them an excuse to leave.

“Well, Cam was nice.” Cas told Starscream sleepily.

"I suppose he was, surprisingly. Be careful around Knock Out." "I will," he yawned. Coming to his quarters, now theirs he supposed, Starscream found his human, his... Companion, fast asleep in his cockpit.

He gently laid him in his box and left the box on the desk, lying down for a rest himself.


	4. Chapter 4

They spent most of the first week adjusting. The other Decepticons began carrying their Companions around wherever they went. Megatron disapproved, but didn’t really do anything to enforce it. 

The warlord gentled in his handling when he came to Starscream’s berth. He could still be rough, sometimes edging on too much, but he knew when to back down.

Cas was still uneasy around him and often retreated to Starscream's cockpit or his box, depending if they were in their quarters or not. He was slowing growing closer to Cam, but they usually just talked so Starscream didn't worry so much.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Knock Out of late.” Megatron questioned the Seeker, thumbs drawing circles on the Seeker’s pert aft.

"Cas and Cam have become friends, so that puts us together more often."

“Hmph. So long as he behaves himself.” The tank nibbled his neckcable. “I assume your little organic is less “lonely” now?”

"Yes, so I can tolerate Knock Out if it means Cas is happy."

Megatron hummed. “I wonder what the Autobots are planning.”

"I don't know. They've been practically silent."

“They must have chosen this planet for a reason. Energy is plentiful, certainly, but so are many other planets.”

“It’s a beautiful world.”

“Certainly compared to Cybertron, though Shockwave assures me that rebuilding is going well.”

He leaned down to take the Seeker again when muffled coughing from the box make him growl. Of course the little organic would interrupt.

Starscream sighed, optics sliding shut. “Give me a moment. I should check on that. He’s been doing it all day.”

“If he’s been doing that all day, surely it can wait.” Megatron grumbled.

"Yes, but it only started today. Something could be wrong with him."

The Seeker slid between his servos, pressing a kiss to his lipplates. “It will only be a moment.” He licked the warlord’s audial saucily. “I’ll make it worth it to wait.”

"You had better." He nodded and approached the box as Cas coughed again, trying to muffle it.

Starscream reached in. “Cas? Are you all right?”

"Sorry, Star," he rasped. "That's not what I asked. Are you all right?" "... I feel awful."

“What hurts?” The Seeker questioned, lifting his Companion and studying him.

"I ache all over, but not all the time, I feel hot and cold at same time, and like I'm gonna throw up."

"You must have a virus. Do you think we should go see Cam and Knock Out now or wait until the morning?"

"I don't know." Starscream moved, but the motion proved too much for Cas, and the poor thing finally threw up. He cried from misery and shame, having just thrown up in his Seeker's servos. "I'm sorry, Star!"

“Shh… It’s all right. We’ll go see Cam. Come on.” He threw an apologetic look over his wing at Megatron. “I’ll be right back, my Liege. Sorry.”

The warlord growled as Starscream left. Blast that pathetic little organic. Now he was taking Starscream's time and affections.

Cam gently examined Cas while Knock Out purred about not minding interrupting his beauty sleep for the Seeker. Starscream sweetly replied that he was so grateful, and if the secondary medic didn't mind hurrying, Megatron would be grateful as well.

That soured Knock Out's purring quickly, just as he intended. "He's sick all right. He needs plenty of rest, liquid energon for now, and to be kept warm. Watch him to make sure he's not throwing up more than he keeps down," he instructed the Seeker.

"Thank you." Starscream gathered Cas up. "Come along, Cas. Let's get you back into your bed."

"Sorry I ruined your night, Star."

"It isn't ruined, Cas. Megatron can stand to learn some patience in any case." Starscream gently nuzzled him.

"Love you." "I love you, too, little one," he said as he came back into their quarters.

Starscream settled him back in his bed with a container in case he threw up again and another one of plain energon. Megatron tapped his digits against the wall.

The Seeker shot him an irritated look. Just because Megatron didn't have a Companion didn't mean he needed to get all huffy over Starscream caring for his.

Just for that, he took as long as possible making sure Cas was all right before he glided back to the berth. "There we are, I think I promised to make it worth the wait?" He purred to the tank, kissing his lipplates.

"You did, and you had better," he growled. Okay, now it was getting annoying. If he wasn't careful the warlord was going to get himself kicked out again.

"Do I ever disappoint?" He pouted, mouthing down the warlord's neckcables.

"You've never made me wait so long." Melodramatic much? Still he did as he said would and made sure it was worth it. Once Megatron left, Starscream shook his helm.

He understood feeling left out, but really! If he just asked and acted like a decent mech, he could share Cas with the Seeker. It wasn't like he had brought a third mech into their relationship: There was nothing to be jealous over.

It was ridiculous to be jealous over Cas not to mention annoying to Starscream. If he wanted to spend time with Cas and actually take care of him then he would and Megatron would just have to deal with it.

He was still in a rather hostile mood three days later when Megatron tried to visit him again. Cas was still sickly and the Seeker worried over him. Worried wasn't a good look on the Seeker, and he hadn't been taking care of himself as well as he normally did.

That was when Megatron got himself a true strike in their relationship. Starscream returned from getting energon for himself and Cas to find Megatron waiting for him in his quarters, energon already in hand. Normally he would find it a romantic guesture, but today he wasn't in the mood. "Not now, Megatron. I need to keep an optic on Cas and-" "He's with Knock Out, so just relax." There was a spike of fear and of hope, but those feelings weren't his own. Over the past week he had come to realize that these were Cas's feelings, though he had no idea how he was feeling them.

"Really?" Starscream raised an optical ridge. "Knock Out is in the rec room, though, and Cas wasn't in sight."

The warlord faltered, and he make the mistake of glancing towards Starscream's desk drawer. He didn't...

Starscream rushed to the desk and pulled the drawer open, finding that the contents of Cas's box had been moved into it, including the shaking human himself.

He blinked in the light, flinching, but when he realized it was Starscream and not Megatron he began sobbing and reached up like a Sparkling reached for their parent.

Starscream shot Megatron a death glare and scooped Cas up. "It's okay, shh..." He soothed the human.

"He... he d-dumped me i-in there."

"I'm sure he's sorry." Starscream ground out, directed at his lover. "And is just leaving."

"Starscream-“

"Go!" The Seeker hissed. "What made you think this would be okay in any way at all?"

Megatron opened his mouth and closed it several times before leaving, spinal strut stiff.

He fumed as he stormed towards his own quarters.

He had just wanted an evening with his Seeker the way it used to be, before that stupid organic came between them.

Enough was enough. He was done putting up with the wretched little thing. It was time it disappeared.

Starscream took Cas for a flight to calm him down and soothe him back to sleep. It was a bitterly disappointing evening. He didn't like this new side of Megatron.

Even after Cas had fully recovered from being sick Starscream kept him close, but Megatron did not even speak to them unless he absolutely had to address the Seeker.

It saddened Starscream that such distance was growing between them. He still loved his leader, it was an aching knot in his spark, but the way he was acting lately... He wanted to make Megatron understand that he still loved him, there was just... something else that needed his attention too. Perhaps he could couch Cas in terms of a sparkling, then it might make Megatron understand.

As they were growing apart Cas and Cam were growing closer, and Megatron was glowering across the rec room when Cam planted his first kiss.

Starscream and Knock Out were trying to give their Companions privacy by chatting, and Starscream noticed Megatron watching. Well, now was as good a time as any to try."

He rose and approached the tank. "My Lord?"

Megatron looked up at him, look softening only slightly.

"What is it, Starscream?"

"Can we talk? Alone? Cas will be fine for a few minutes at least."

"Really? You don't seem capable of leaving him alone," the warlord sneered.

"Perhaps I deserve that." Starscream doggedly continued. "But please, let me explain. I'll make it worth your while, I promise."

"Fine, but make it quick."

They retreated to Starscream's office and Starscream kept his voice calm and quiet as he tried to persuade Megatron that Cas was not an impediment to their relationship. It required patience from Megatron and perhaps better management on his part so they could be together without interruptions.

"It all sounds very nice in theroy, Starscream, but I've made up my mind. Tomorrow morning you're going to get rid of it."

Starscream was taken aback. "That's- Megatron! That's ridiculous! You can't order me to kill Cas!"

"I don't care if you kill it, but get rid of it. Abandon it, give it to the Autobots, just get rid of it."

"You can't order that, Megatron!" Starscream hissed. "And I'm not going to do it."

"So you choose it over me?"

"That's ridiculous! You're the one who's making it about choosing anything!"

"I'm done tolerating it, Starscream. It's a pest, nothing more."

Starscream shook his helm, cradling his faceplates. "Primus, Megatron... Don't make me do this. I'm not going to get rid of Cas, but... I don't want to lose you..."

"You have until tomorrow morning," Megatron said as he swept out.

The Seeker cried bitterly. Did everything he had have to turn poisonous and die?

He cried for a while before pulling himself together and returning to the rec room.

Knock Out seemed to have a sixth sense for weakness. "Well, well, well... If that isn't a long face, I don't know what is. What's the matter, herr Kommandant?"

"None of your concern, Knock Out."

"Come on, now. Show the doctor where it hurts." The speedster persuaded. In spite of himself, Starscream found he wanted to.

Judging from how Cas and Cam were nestled up to each other... they did, too.

"Frag it. Why not? I can't get any more in a mess." Starscream sighed.

Knock Out purred to the Seeker. "Awww... You know, I think I have just the medicine you need. Shall we go to my quarters and you can tell me all about it?"

"As long as you don't expect me to actually tell you all about it." The medic chuckled, and they retreated to his quarters.

Knock Out poured Starscream a vessel of sparkling high grade and clinked their glasses together, tossing them back. "I take it you're single now."

"You could say that, yes." He glanced around, but the humans had disappeared into Cam's cupboard.

"Hmm. Well, if you don't want to talk about it, I suppose we'll just have to resort to old fashioned TLC to put the shine back on your plating." Knock Out's servos caressed his shoulders and trailed out over his wings.

"Well, I think our humans have gotten a jumpstart so... why not, but not Sparks."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetplates." Knock Out pressed a kiss to the Seeker's coal lipplates.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a rather fun and nice night, he had to admit. Come morning, however, Cas and Cam were not getting along as Cam let loose that he wanted to take Cas as his own. "I'm not an object to be owned, Cam!" "What, you think you have any better options on the table?"

"Anything is better than being "owned" you slagging fragger! Get away from me!" Cas slapped him and pushed open the cupboard.

Cam chased after him, grabbing his wrist. "I took your virginity, Cas. You belong-" SLAP! Cam reeled and fell over. Starscream and Knock Out were watching in stunned silence.

“Apparently I have to have a talk with my Companion.” Knock Out said into the silence. He turned to Starscream. “This has been a beautiful night, but it’s over now. You didn’t disappoint, herr Kommandant, but I don’t think it would work out between us.”

"No it wouldn't, and evidently it didn't work between them either.”

“Apparently not.” Knock Out sent him off with a lingering, farewell kiss. There would not be a repeat, and the medic became much more professional around the Seeker from then on. 

Starscream collected Cas and kissed his head. “Are you all right?”

Tears ran down his face as they went down the hall. "No. How did I miss it?"

"The same way I missed it, I suppose." Starscream spoke with dull acceptance. He still had the daunting task of telling Megatron it was over, completely over.

The choice was taken from him when Megatron rounded the corner. He sneered at the sight of Cas. "You've chosen." Starscream sighed. "Yes. It... it's over, Megatron."

The tank stared at the tiny Seeker and suddenly he became the most precious thing in the world. He would rather destroy him than let him leave.

His optics fell on the human. The cause of all this. Starscream wasn't prepared for Megatron to swipe Cas out of his servo.

The Seeker cried out and grabbed for Cas as Megatron grabbed him and forced him against the wall.

"I won't accept this, Starscream!" Cas screamed as Megatron began to squeeze him. Hook, Soundwave, Knock Out, and several others were alerted by the sound. Starscream screeched as he heard something crack, and Cas shrieked in pain, his arm breaking.

The Seeker extended his claws and dug them into the warlord's wrist, cutting cables and wires, forcing the servo to relax.

Cas plummeted, but Soundwave appeared seemingly out of nowhere, catching him. Hook, Knock Out, and some others pulled Megatron off the Seeker. "Go, Starscream!" he grabbed Cas and fled the Nemesis.

They didn’t stop until they were resting in the safety of a sheltered cave, Cas sobbing into Starscream while the Seeker pitched his helm back, venting hard.

"My arm!" Cas wailed. Starscream clenched his denta. Cas needed medical attention and quickly.

"Shh..." He shushed him, laying him on a rock. "I'm going back to the Nemesis. I'll bring Hook."

"No! He'll-"

"We don't have a choice!" Starscream sighed. "Unless I can set your arm myself, but I don't trust myself with this."

"I'll be back, don't worry." He transformed and streaked back the way they had come. He returned with Hook, and Cas's sobs had diminished to whimpers, the pain overwhelming him and sapping his strength.

Hook and Forge worked together, delicately setting the limb back into place. "There, there." Hook soothed the Companion. "It's all right."

They set his arm, splint and wrapped it, then fashioned a sling for him. "There. That's all we can do now. You need to get out of here, Starscream. Megatron's looking for you, and he's... I've never seen him like this."

Starscream nodded, expression bitter and sad. "Where do you suggest I go?"

"I don't know. Fortunately... the Autobots may be your best bet. On your own... if you get caught..."

"How will that be any worse than what the Autobots would do to me?" Starscream hissed. "I killed Sentinel Prime!"

"Because Optimus isn't in the habit of killing in cold blood. Ever noticed that when he fights?"

Starscream sighed and picked up Cas. "What about Prowl, Hook? Or Jazz?"

"They obey Optimus. If he orders them not to harm you they won't."

"Why? I wouldn't." Starscream looked down at Cas. "But they wouldn't hurt Cas..."

He sighed. "You're right, I don't really have a choice if I want to protect him."

Hook hugged him gently and Forge kissed both of his cheeks. "Go on, then, but I would do my best to surrender directly to Optimus Prime, if I were you."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, both of you." He gently tucked Cas in his cockpit and took off in the direction he had followed Optimus before.

Max and the other Autobot's Companions were settling in nicely. Once it was established that they were their own species, though connected to the Cybertronians, everyone began lending a servo to make their lives more comfortable.

HUman sized furniture, energon cubes, games, toys, datapads, and even weapons were soon all over the Ark.

It had become a hive of chaos on this particular day, thanks to the twins.

It was a paintgun war outside the Ark, with Autobots and Companions running and shooting, laughing as they enjoyed the bright sun and warm and air. Until a certain jet flew overhead then doubled back to land.

The mood soured as paint guns were traded for weaponry and the Autobots triangulated on the Seeker, who was sitting, legs crossed, with his servos on his helm.

Optimus approached.

Starscream gritted his denteas. "Prime."

"Why are you here, Starscream?" "To surrender to you. I need asylum, and more important Cas needs it and access to medical attention."

Prowl scoffed. "Why would we trust scum like you?"

He gently brought Cas out of his cockpit. Hook hadn't been able to give him anything for the pain, so the human looked terrible. There were tear tracks down his face, he was very pale and shaky, and his eyes were dilated from the long suffering through the pain.

Prowl pursed his lipplates and called Ratchet over. "Ratchet! Bring Leonard!"

The medic quickly approached, and Leonard began gently examining Cas.

Meanwhile, one of the twins clapped stasis cuffs on Starscream, who collapsed immediately. They were turned up to their highest setting.

"STARSCREAM!!!" Cas wailed, reaching out with his good hand, fresh tears coming. He was in pain and terrified, so seeing that was not helping.

"He will be unharmed." Optimus assured the Companion, sending a look to the twins, who sighed and nodded.

They turned the setting down.

Starscream slowly sat up, which calmed Cas significantly.

He was led into the Ark, while Ratchet carried Cas. The injured human became even more distress, however, as they were separated.

Starscream looked over his shoulder as the twins and Prowl dragged him off into the brig. It was guarded by another of his least favorite people, Red Alert. Which probably explained why the twins felt bold enough to give him a beating he was helpless to resist.

Cas sobbed in the medbay. Pain drifted to him from Starscream, adding to his cries as he knew there was nothing he could do. Optimus came in to check on him. "How are-" "Someone's hurting him!"

Max hopped down from Optimus's shoulder. "I'll handle things in here, go see to his Companion."

The Prime nodded and hurried to the brig. When he caught who was disobeying his order not to harm Starscream they were in for a world of trouble.

He met the twins and Prowl on the way, reaching the brig. "Red Alert, report."

"The Seeker resisted, but we took care of it." Optimus growled, getting in his face. "I might believe that... if the cuffs were on a low enough setting that he could actually BE a threat. Try again, soldier."

"Prowl ordered the twins to remove the cuffs as soon as he was in the cell, per regulation, Optimus."

"Red Alert, I'm not blind. I see them on him. Stop the half truths. Prowl may have given the order, but it clearly was not followed nor did he enforce the order."

Red Alert pressed his lipplates together. "The twins were Sentinel's personal bodyguards, Optimus." He dropped his voice. "And that Seeker killed him in cold blood."

"Sentinel was not innocent, Red Alert. He bore much blood on his own servos, and I gave them an order. I am Prime now, and my orders are to be followed not cast aside on a whim or for revenge. If you ever lie to me about a disregard for an order or stand by while an order is disobeyed again you will be discharged from service and serve time in the brig yourself. Am I clear?"

Red Alert nodded, coming to attention. "Yes, sir."

Optimus entered the cell, removed the cuffs, and took Starscream to the medbay. "See to him, Ratchet. I need to have a word with Prowl and the twins about obeying orders."

Ratchet shot the Seeker a hard glare and turned to the far corner of the medbay. "Pharma!"

The Autobots Seeker came forward and gasped. "Starscream!"

Starscream sighed, turning over to look at his cousin. "Pharma."

Pharma cooed and purred soothingly. Meanwhile Optimus came into Prowl's office finding him and the twins. "What do you think you're doing disobeying me when I said Starscream wouldn't be harmed?"

Prowl calmly lifted his datapad. "The twins were just submitting a report on how the Seeker in question ambushed them as soon as the stasis cuffs were off."

Optimus jerked the datapad away. "Don't even lie, Prowl, I saw the cuffs still on him! Starscream was beaten, and I see no marks of any sort on the twins."

"We replaced the cuffs, Optimus, and if you think that Seeker could land a hit on us, you've never seen us in the Pits." Sunstreaker replied.

"That doesn't warrant a beating. All of you could have pinned him, and red Alert told me what actually happened. Disobey me again and you will be discharged and sent to the brig. Am I clear?"

The twins shot glances at each other and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

"Good. This is a direct order; regardless of your past with and against him, Starscream is now a refugeee here, and you will NOT harm him or antagonize him." He glared at Prowl. "That goes for you, too."

Prowl’s mouth turned down. “Then I request that you not force me to deal with or to be around him. That Seeker is the slag of Cybertron and I refuse to play nice with the murderer of a Prime and an adoring mate.”

"Sentinel was not innocent, Prowl, despite what he would have liked you to think.”

“He was a Prime!” Prowl snapped, standing up. “Innocent and guilty are concepts that do not apply! He had to make decisions that placed him in morally compromising positions and he did the best he could! Then his ungrateful favorite pulled a blaster on him and Cybertron fell! I won’t have you or anyone else speaking ill of him! Now, if you are not going to discipline me and have no further business, I suggest you get out of my office!”

“Ungrateful? Sentinel is the one who drove the Seekers out of Vos and destroyed it, plunging an entire frametype into poverty and slavery!"

“And it was the Seekers who rebelled against the garrison the Senate- the leading governmental body- put into place, forcing him to! And out of that gutter, he took one into his own Palace and treated him like a Prince!”

"All right, shut up, the both of you!" Ratchet snapped as he came in before Optimus could reply.

Optimus quieted. "Ratchet, what is it?"

"What do we do with Starscream now that he's been treated?"

Optimus thought for a long moment. "Restrain him in the medbay, but keep an eye on him and treat him well."

"I don't want him in my medbay. He bothers my other patients."

"Bothers them how?"

"Optimus. He's the Decepticon's Second In Command and the servo who fired the bullet that killed a civilization."

"They're going to have to learn to deal with it. He asked for asylum, and we'll give it. They need to learn to get used to him.

Ratchet sighed, crossing his arms. "Then I'm going to put a curtain around him. Hopefully if he's out of sight, he'll be out of mind."

Opimus frowned. "Only if another objects to him, closing him off like that is not going to be tolerated, Ratchet." "Why do you care so fraggin' much, Prime?"

"It's the right thing to do for a refugee that my own soldiers beat into a pulp."

"All right, fine." Optimus nodded and left to get Max.


	6. Chapter 6

Pharma was talking to Starscream in Seeker while his human was sitting with Cas. Cas was curled into Starscream, huddled around his broken arm. Considering everything that had happened to him in a rather short span of time, to say he was on edge and not willing to trust others, especially now that some Autobots had hurt Starscream, was an understatement.

 

Pharma’s human gently tried to comfort him. “Your arm broke cleanly. It will heal quickly.”

Cas ignored him, wishing he could just get into Starscream's cockpit and shut out the world.

Starscream lifted a stiff servo and stroked Cas’s head. *I can’t believe it. I thought I knew Megatron.*

*I thought you did, too. I wonder if something made him change,* Pharma said.

*I don’t know for certain, but I think he accidentally killed his Companion.*

*... You're sure it was an accident?*

*I don’t want to think of what it means if it wasn’t.*

*This bond we seem to share, what if... it breaking did something to him?*

Starscream touched his cockpit over his spark. *I wish he had let me help him. I wish he hadn't tried to hurt Cas.*

*Your little one is lucky to be alive and with only a broken arm.*

*Primus must have been watching over us. That and the rest of the officer corps.*

"I'm glad they helped." Cas pressed against him so Starscream gently tucked him into his cockpit, feeling his desire, his need to hide away for a bit.

The Seeker stroked his cockpit. *Thank you for your kindness, Pharma, but I think we need to rest for now.*

"Of course. I'm sorry you have to stay in here."

Pharma left them in peace and Starscream closed his optics. It had been a long cycle.

He woke to a very loud Ironhide raging at Optimus allowing the Seeker to stay to Ratchet.

Ratchet was complaining bitterly and the medic snapped back, it wasn't his choice and it wore on him as well.

Cas pushed until Starscream opened his cockpit. "Shut the frag up!" he screeched at the two mechs who didn't care to be decent enough to lower their voices.

The two turned, surprised at Cas's volume.

"Not that you great assholes care, but it's been a shitty say so suck it up and SHUT UP!"

Starscream chuckled at the two mech's expressions and Cas laid back down in his cockpit.

Ironhide's human, a man dubbed Obi-Wan from a mishearing of 'oh boy one down' from Ironhide muttering as he went through some reports, smiled. He wasn't a fan of how Ironhide was acting and blatantly and purposely disrupting their rest, so he approved.

Ironhide's face turned red. "You don't get a say you little noisemaker! For your bad day, I've had three!"

Cas reemerged and stormed right over to the mech. "Did you have someone way bigger than use attempt to crush you when you're not even really a month old all because he was jealous?" "No." "Did you have a guy you thought you loved reveal he just wants to own you?" "No." "Did you have your only friend in the whole damn world beaten just for being himself?" "No." "Then shut the frag up and leave us alone!"

Ironhide was stunned to silence for a long few minutes.

"Anything else stupid you want to say?" Cas challenged. Ironhide stared down at the tiny human.

He found himself shaking his helm.

Cas turned to Ratchet. "You either?"

Ratchet shook his helm as well.

"Good. So keep it down or don't fraggin' talk in here." "Do you need some more pain medication?" Leonard asked. "Yeah, thanks." He gave Cas the pill, and the brunette took it before settling back down. Starscream closed the curtain and they fell back asleep. Optimus came in to find Ratchet and Ironhide staring at the curtain. "Something happen?" "Cas put these to in their places," Obi-Wan said.

Optimus chuckled and shook his helm. "I came to see if they were in any condition to talk."

"Obviously Cas is, but whether they're in the mood... is another story, but you want to wake the sleeping beast go right ahead."

Optimus looked at the curtain and shook his helm. "You know what? It can wait."

"Probably a good choice," Max said.

"Status on the medbay, Ratchet?"

"Fully functional and ready, Optimus." "Good."

Ironhide, voice at a much lower level, turned to the Prime. "Optimus, I want to increase security on the medbay."

"That won't be needed, Ironhide. I've found quarters for them."

"Which quarters?"

"The secure quarters below the officers quarters."

Ironhide crossed his arm. "We have a perfectly good brig."

"They came for asylum not arrest."

Ironhide shook his helm. "Optimus, has it occurred to you that Starscream has killed one Prime. It wouldn't phase him to kill another."

"It has. It's also occurred to me that Sentinel, for all his 'favoritism' of Starscream did Seekers a great harm. I want to try to do what I can to make up for all the damage Primes did to them."

Ironhide face-palmed. "Optimus, for your safety and every Autobot's peace of mind, lock that Seeker in the brig where he belongs and throw away the key."

"No. Whether you like it or not, Starscream is now a refugee and will be treated as such, not as an enemy."

"Then I want that door to be lockable and security cameras inside it."

"Fine, but with an override should the base go into an emergency so he can get out, and only Jazz, Rodimus, and I have the keys." "Prime!" "No, Ironhide, I don't trust you not to just lock him in."

Ironhide crossed his arms and glared.

"It's that or no modifications, Ironhide," Optimus, refusing to budge or bend.

"Ugh. Fine. But swear to me, Prime, that you will be on your guard."

"I will." He left the medcenter, and Max chuckled. "Too bad we missed them getting put in their places."

"Too bad indeed." Optimus chuckled. "Whatever Cas said really silenced them."

Max frowned then. "Optimus, are you sure this is wise? What if Ironhide and Prowl are right and Starscream is here to kill you?"

"I doubt it. I just don't seem him as the type to let someone he cares about get so hurt just to get close to an enemy."

"Unless... Cas is in on it too."

"It's more than a little extreme, don't you think, Max?" "Yeah."

Optimus sighed. "I don't think Starscream is lying. He came here to seek sanctuary for himself and his human. For Ironhide and Prowl's sake, I'll watch my chassis."

"I hope you're right. Beside, Cas is pretty easy on the eyes."

Optimus chuckled. "What happened to Pharma's human?"

"Second best." Max considered. "But not easy to talk to. Shy."

"You and Cas talked then while I was dealing with... insubordination?"

"Yeah, we did. He was in a lot of pain, but he was confident and bold."

"Really? What did you talk about?"

"Mostly what brought him here. He confirmed Starscream's story: Megatron tried to crush him."

"I can scarcely imagine how terrifying that would be. I face Megatron in battle, but we're close in size."

Max shuddered. "I trust you implicitly, Optimus, but that time you had to physically pick me up and wrap your servo around me... That was terrifying."

"I'm sorry, Max. I never meant to frighten you."

"I was falling, Optimus, I would rather be frightened than dead."

"Come on. Lets go for a drive and check in on them later, hmm?" "Sounds good."

The wind in his hair was always fun for Max.

A drive through the meadow and a nearby canyon had them both relaxed and happy as they returned for evening energon, hungry driving them back sooner than they would have liked.

The base was abuzz with the news that Starscream- The Prime Killer- was on base with them.

Prime answered questions and stayed firm in Starscream and Cas being refugees not enemies.

This was a rather unpopular approach to the delicate topic. Not for the first time, Optimus reflected that he was badly suited for this role. He hated being "in the doghouse."

Yet the Matrix had chosen him... for whatever reason, so here he was. He took energon to Starscream and Cas, who were awake. Max slid down his Companion's arm with the human sized cubes.

Starscream's optics went to Prime, then dimmed. "Aren't you afraid this is all a ruse? Red Alert has been talking of nothing else." He gestured to the Security Officer, who was "visiting" Ratchet to keep an optic on Starscream.

Optimus set the other mech a scalding look that could have melted him. "No, I'm not. You don't seem the type to go to such extremes or put someone you care about through such pain just to get close to your enemy."

"You don't know that." Starscream stroked Cas. "We could both simply be that devoted to the Cause."

"I think you are, but I don't think either of you is that devoted."

Starscream sighed. "Do you mind uncuffing me then? I'd rather not be fed like a sparkling."

Red Alert stiffened, but Optimus uncuffed the Seeker. "I'm sorry about that. You're a refugee, not a prisoner." "I've heard otherwise." "The others are my men, not the other way around. You surrendered to me not to them."

Starscream waved it off. "I can't expect better. They're right to be cautious."

"They do, but not to be cruel."

Starscream chuckled humorlessly. "Again, I can't expect better."

"But I expect my men to be better."

Starscream laughed then and shook his helm. "Oh, Prime. You always surprise."

"In a good way or a bad way?"

"Both." Starscream leaned on one servo, unwittingly sensual in every attitude. "Now, how about that energon?"

Optimus gave him the cube and sat back. Max and Cas had already started on theirs, listening quietly to their Companions talk then starting their own conversation, mostly, from the sounds of it, a trading of questions and answers.

Starscream sipped the cube carefully, then pulled a face. "This is barely edible. There's something wrong with your filters."

"I don't think it's bad, Star." "You're doped up on painkillers."

The Seeker drained the cube in one, long gulp. "Ugh."

Cas pouted. "You're so mean,... Maelstrom."

Starscream chuckled. "And you're high on chemicals, Mini."

"Hey, I can't feel my arm. I'll take it!"

Starscream sighed and turned back to Optimus. "I can improve your filtration units."

"That would be nice." "Can I help?" He smiled. "Sure, Mini, I'll find something for you to help with." "Yay!" Max grinned.

"No!" Red Alert interrupted suddenly. "Optimus, asylum is one thing, but you can't give him access to our energon stores without approval from the officers: All of the officers."

Optimus sighed.

Starscream's lipplates twisted. "I have to drink this slag too, you know!"

"Yeah, why would he poison it if he has to drink it?" "He'll just go back to-" "He came to us, Red Alert, do you really think Megatron will welcome him back now that he's basically declared himself a traitor?" "Uh..." "Dumbass," Cas snorted.

Red Alert folded his arms. "Prowl and Jazz wouldn't agree and neither do I."

"You don't get to speak for them, Red Alert. Regardless it will be brought before ALL my officers, not just you."

Red Alert glared at the Seeker, then sat back down.

"Excuse me for wanting meals to taste better," Star sniffed. Cas scampered to him, and the Seeker gently kissed his head.

Red Alert and his human turned away. Optimus and Max sighed. "Apologies. Red Alert is... Red Alert."

"So we noticed," Starscream said, rubbing Cas's back with his digit. The brunette looked blissful.

Optimus picked Max up. "Quarters have been arranged for you, if you care to see them."

"Thank you." Starscream picked up Cas but continued the back rub. Max watched this, noting Cas's blissful expression and relaxed posture.

Optimus chuckled and began copying the Seekers motions.

His Companion started then almost immediately became utterly relaxed. "Woooow. That's...."

"Really, really nice, huh?" Cas answered, smiling. "Maelstrom is talented with his digits."

"Okay that sounded wrong." Cas stuck his tongue out. "Not like that! ... At least not that I know."

"Oh, the statement was quite accurate." The Seeker smirked shamelessly.

Optimus laughed. "Takes a certain kind to just admit... and a certain kind of bravery."

Starscream waved a servo. "It's of no matter. I have had to choose survival over dignity too many times to be embarrassed and anyone who doesn't like that can kiss my aft."

"Ew, Star," Cas giggled.

Starscream kissed his head and went back to rubbing.

"Love you, Maelstrom."

"I love you, Mini."

"Here we are," said Optimus.

Starscream took in the quarters, and the ill-concealed cameras in the corners of every room. "Well, it's comfortable." He gently kicked the door, testing it, and found it was double-thick. "And secure. Is there a window?"

"Yes, but not big enough to get through." "I wasn't asking for that. I like opening it to feel the breeze and let the sun in. Mini like to sleep in the sun."

The window had bars, newly installed, in spite of it being too thin for a normal mech to get through. Starscream estimated, however, that he could with ease.

He was still able to open and close it, which he supposed would do for now. "Actually, I hate to ask, but are that unused rags and some cloth I can use to make a nest for Cas?"

"I'll ask Wheeljack and Perceptor. We’re having trouble with our fabricators, but something like that shouldn't be too bad."

"Thank you, if you can't he can sleep in my cockpit."

Optimus nodded. "I'll let you get settled in."

"Thank you." Optimus headed to find Wheeljack while Starscream and Cas settled in. "Wheeljack?" "Over here," the inventor called. He was still carrying the sparkling, having backed out of field duty so he could keep it. He couldn't bare to put it into stasis again.

"I was hoping you had some fabric and other materials for a nest for a human."

"I do... somewhere. Hang on." He began searching. "Thought Max slept on a mini berth." "He does. It's for Cas."

“Huh. I wonder if Cas would be interested in some miniature stuff.” Wheeljack looked in his cupboard. “Han and I made extras of some things.”

"It couldn't hurt to ask. You could bring him some things at morning energon. I'm sure he'd like that.”

“Ratch is all in a twist over the Screamer being here. Can’t say I like it myself.”

"Did Ratchet also tell you and Ironhide were purposely being loud in the medbay while Starscream and Cas, who is injured, were resting?" "No."

Wheeljack sighed and turned to face Optimus. “Optimus, I’m all for giving mechs a second chance, but you have to be patient. Don’t get in everyone’s faceplates about it. It’s going to take time no matter what you do.”

"I know, I just wish my men were better than resorting to such things. It's shameful when Cas had to put Ratchet and Ironhide in their places with the things he's suffered through to get them just to let him and Starscream rest."

“Optimus, your spark is in the right place.” Wheeljack sighed. “Maybe you should back off a little. Starscream isn’t a damsel, and the simple fact is he’s not an Autobot. If Megatron hadn’t tried to hurt Cas, he’d still be on the Nemesis, happily taking shots at us. I’m not saying throw him to the turbofoxes, but let the mechs have some room to see Starscream for who he is, without someone constantly protecting him. Someone is going to get the wrong idea if you keep this up.”

He sighed. "You're right, Wheeljack, I just worry. The twins already decided to beat him when he was bound. Who knows what someone else might do."

“Well, he’s not bound anymore. He’s survived this long against people more fearsome than the twins. He’ll be okay.”

"I know." "What about Cas?" Max asked.

"I doubt anyone will try to hurt him. Starscream can take care of them both."

"All right." "Found it!" He handed the Prime a bunch of cloth. "Here. If they don't need it all Cas can do what he wants with it."

“Thank you, Wheeljack.” Prime accepted it.

"No problem. I'll bring some miniature stuff for Cas to look at during morning energon."

Optimus nodded to the inventor and delivered the fabric to Starscream and Cas.

Starscream made Cas a nest, pillow, and blanket, and still there was plenty of cloth leftover, which Cas tucked away in a drawer Starscream said could be for just his stuff.

They settled into berth and nest for the night, the window open and blowing a cool breeze over them.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning Starscream was brought to the rec room to get his and Cas's energon. Cas was sitting in his servo.

The Autobots were silent, all optics staring as the Seeker collected a cube for himself and Cas poured a cube in his size.

He sat down in a corner and gently let Cas onto the table. He didn't speak or make anything threatening or sudden moves.

The optics only stopped following him when he went outside for a flight.

Cas had picked out some mini furniture, excluding a berth, kindly thanking Wheeljack but telling him he preferred his nest.

Wheeljack had smiled cheerfully and nodded, waving as they took off.

They flew for a while before landing near the Ark but staying out. Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, and Jazz were patrolling and spotted them. They were playing, Starscream tickling his Companion as Cas tried to dart or duck away and dodge him.

Bumblebee watched. “Aww… They’re cute.”

"Yeah they are, aren't they?" Jazz agreed.

Cliffjumper looked at both like they had lost their helms.

"Come on, lets keep our patrol moving."

The three mechs turned and continued along the perimeter.

Cas giggled as Starscream gently caught him in one servo then tickling him.

Starscream chuckled, pressing a kiss to his head. The Seeker rolled onto his wings and they looked up at the clouds.

“So… what do you think about Optimus now?”

“Shush, Cas. It isn’t going to happen. You can have as much fun with his Companion as you like, though.”

"I know, I just want to know what you think?"

“I think he wants me, but won’t ask, and I won’t offer.” Starscream replied. “He’s the Prime, and I’m a Seeker and under his protection. He wouldn’t think it proper.”

“Proper? Bleh.”

Starscream laughed. “What do you want me to say, Cas? He’s powerful, handsome, and in other circumstances, common sense would have no say in the matter. But these aren’t other circumstances.”

“I want you to be happy again, Star.”

Starscream sighed. “I can’t… I can’t toss aside Megatron so quickly, Cas. He broke my spark. It’s going to take time to repair.”

"I know. I don't mean for it to happen right away, Maelstrom."

"Then I don't see the point of our conversation."

"Me being curious." "Well, Mini, how are you gonna get Max's attention, hmm?"

Cas smirked. "I have some ideas."

"Ooo, like what?" "It's a secret," his human chirped cheekily.

Starscream's servos began creeping up over his cockpit, making tickling motions.

"Nooo!" Cas squealed.

"You will tell me your secrets!" Starscream sing-songed.

He tried to get up to run. "Never!"

Starscream picked him up by the back of his shirt and his digits came closer... closer...

"Okay!"

Starscream turned him to face him. "Well?"

"I... makemyselflookpretty."

Starscream nodded. "Of course. We'll do that certainly."

"All that cloth Wheeljack gave us. I kept all the pretty stuff to make clothes."

"Naturally. We'll have to see if we can make you some cosmetics as well."

"Maybe Wheeljack can help."

Starscream chuckled. "We don't need his help. I used to make these professionally... While I was trying to pay for my degree."

Cas smiled and and poked at his cockpit until Star opened it to let him in.

Starscream let him in, then went on the hunt for plants similar to what he used to use. Meanwhile, on base, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were still arguing.

"Oh, come on, Cliffjumper, that was SP cute!"

"It's Starscream! You're sympathizing with the enemy!"

"He's a refugee now, stop being such an aft!"

"You say that like it changes anything!"

"Maybe he can change, but not if you keep treating him like change is impossible!"

"For people like him, it is impossible!"

"Well I think he can! He came to us instead of going on his own with Cas, that makes him a traitor to Megatron just for that."

"So? He did it to save his plating!"

"Ugh, whatever, well you can keep being an after. I'm not gonna keep treating him like he's my enemy."

Cliffjumper gave a frustrated snarl and stomped off.

Starscream and Cas finally headed back to the Ark, and Cas began sketching clothing ideas on Starscream's datapad that Optimus had given him.

Starscream began mixing berries, wax, and various other organic substances in small petri dishes.

At afternoon energon Cas approached Wheeljack about needles, scissors, and thread.

"What do you want so many sharps for?" Perceptor questioned, looking suspicious.

"Well excuse me for wanting to make myself some clothes so I'm not wearing the same thing everyday."

Perceptor colored, looking embarrassed. "Oh."

"Maybe next time ask in a politer way. People are more inclined to be polite back," Cas said as Wheeljack produced the objects. He carried about something of everything human sized in his subspace just in case. "Thanks, Wheeljack."

"You're welcome, Cas. Need a lift back to your quarters?"

"Star-" "Bumblebee stole him a second ago wanting to talk." "Oh. Sure, that'd be great."

Wheeljack carried him through the base to their quarters, where Cas set to work.

He met Starscream on the way back to his lab, which was past the rec room. "Wheeljack, have you-" "I just dropped Cas off at your quarters. I gave him a lift back after you went to talk to Bee."

"Thank you, Wheeljack." Starscream smiled at the inventor.

He smiled back. "No problem. You're welcome in the lab if you need to get away from slagheads."

"Don't say things like that, someone might have the bad manners to take you seriously." Starscream chuckled.

"Eh, even Ratchet says I'm crazy." "I thought he was your mate." "He is. He also says he likes it when I'm crazy, makes him smile."

Starscream shook his helm. "Sounds like my trine. Have a nice day, Wheeljack."

"You too, Starscream. See ya 'round." The Seeker smiled as he headed towards his and Cas's quarters. Wheeljack was something else all right, and a good mech to the core.

He noticed Sideswipe stalking him as he opened the door to his quarters. He turned to look at the red twin, not smiling or frowning.

"Star! Uh... Star? Something wrong?" he heard Cas say.

"Nothing, Cas." Starscream stepped in and shut the door, hitting the lock button. He looked up at the cameras, knowing Red Alert was staring at him. He had never felt so crowded, even though he was technically alone. "Just noticing the cameras."

"I just make faces at them." He chuckled and kissed his head. "Silly Mini." "You love me for it," Cas chirped, kissing his cheekplate.

Red Alert kept his digits steepled as he stared at the Seeker, cameras following him. There was no privacy in that quarters, no way for him to be alone to threaten the Ark.

Starscream was mixing plants and things as Cas worked on his clothes, slowed by the use of only one hand.

Finally, the Seeker finished. "There we are." He gently got Cas's attention and painted his lips with a brush. "Beautiful."

Cas jumped then giggled and fluttered his eyes at him.

Starscream chuckled and put aside the dish. "Now you just need your pretty clothes."

The human held up something green and black. Starscream helped him change in time for evening energon. Max looked over as Starscream entered. Cas's hair was braided, he wore a short pine green dress with half-sleeves, buttoned the way down to there holes, black leggings, and brown boots.

Max's jaw dropped and his eyes bugged. He grabbed Optimus and tugged on his aerial, pointing incoherently at Seeker and human. Starscream- at Cas's insistence- had also painted his lipplates.

"I see them, Max. Cas looks very nice."

Max hung down in front of his faceplates. "What? How can you say that? He's gorgeous!"

Optimus chuckled. "I wonder if you'll even have a word for him if he dresses up fancy sometime."

Max jabbered about it a bit when Starscream and Cas appeared in front of their table, surprising both. "May we sit here? Everywhere else is full."

"Of course," Optimus replied easily. He plucked Max off his helm to set him on the table. "You look very nice, Cas." "Thank you, Prime."

Starscream considered the energon cube he held for a few, long minutes before he downed it in one go. When he was finished, he patted his lipplates delicately, not wanting to disturb his own lip paint, which was a clear, glossy wax mixed with powdered obsidian, the black a few shades darker than his own faceplates.

Cas was just as careful with his own, and Max couldn't look away... or remember his own cube.

Optimus gently chucked the back of his head to wake him up. “How was your outing this morning?”

"Invigorating. We both love the sky, isn't that right, Mini?" "You bet, Maelstorm."

Max gabbled out something about liking storms, which started a discussion of the various types of lightning.

"I like the kind that lights up the clouds," Cas said.

“I prefer ground-lightning. It's louder, the shocks are more powerful."

“One of these days, it's gonna be cloud to Starscream's helm.”

Starscream chuckled. “You don’t have to be flying with me when that happens.”

"Maybe, but then who'd call for help while you're trying to remember you name because you took a lightning bolt to the processor?"

They laughed and Optimus shook his helm, smiling.

Cas finished his cube and fiddled with his hair a little.

Starscream looked around at the frigid room. “Well, I suppose we should get back to our quarters.”

Cas looked around and sniffed. "Who cares about them? If they want to stare us too bad for them. I'm enjoying myself, and if they have a problem with it they can shove that problem up their ports."

“You have a point.” Starscream acknowledged. Then, he visibly relaxed, swung one leg over the other and leaned back, plating gleaming and radiating appeal. “But if they’re looking, may as well give them something to stare at.”

He tickled his Companion, who laughed, happy and uncaring if the Autobots wanted to judge them.

Max grinned. “So, umm… I was wondering. Could I go on a flight some time?”

Cas gave Starscream a pleading look.

“Why not?” Starscream shrugged. “Perhaps tomorrow.”

"Thanks." "Perhaps Cas would like a ride sometime," Optimus offered. Cas perked up even more. His only experience so far was Starscream so riding in a ground vehicle was still unknown to him”

“Perhaps while I take Max.”

“Certainly.” 

“Yay!” Cas chirped happily.

Once that was arranged, Starscream and Cas headed back towards their quarters.

“That went well, Mini.”

“It did.” Cas grinned. “For you too, huh?”

“Don’t get too many ideas, Mini.” Starscream opened the door to their quarters.

“You don’t think you two can be friends?”

“Of course we can be friends.” Starscream kissed Cas’s hair, getting wax in it.

“Heeeey! Star, you got my hair all messy!"

Starscream laughed and kissed him again.

“Nooo!" he whined, pushing at him.

Starscream tickled him, alternately kissing and wiggling fingers.

He squealed with laugher. Finally Starscream let up, and they cleaned up and settled in to sleep. Cas curled up in his nest, and found it strange that he actually missed the box. the walls had been both restrictive and protective.

Starscream reached up gently and partially cupped a servo over the nest before going to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, after morning energon, the four went out, and Starscream and Optimus transformed. Max first helped Cas into the Prime's cab then climbed into Starscream's cockpit.

The Seeker took off into the air, taking it slowly at first.

Cas and Optimus gave chase. It was very different from flying with Starscream. He felt every bump in the robe, heard the rumble of Optimus' wheels on the ground, saw the land stretched out before him and rushing by. He loved it.

“This is brilliant!” He called to the convoy, hanging halfway out the window.

Optimus chuckled. "I'm glad you think so. Hold on!"

Cas gripped his door. “Bring it on!”

Optimus turned sharply, hitting his brakes at the same time, performing a heart-stopping turn.

“Woohoo!” Cas shouted, clinging to the Prime.

Out of the forest they slid and onto a proper road, following Starscream as he flew overhead.

The Seeker was doing plenty of twists and turns in the air, letting them keep up easily.

Max was cheering, having a blast.

Starscream wheeled. “Enjoying yourself?”

“This is amazing!”

“This is flight!” Starscream dove and spun.

“I can see why you love it so much.”

Starscream laughed and strafed down over Optimus, almost skimming him.

Optimus gave a roar of his engines and honked.

Starscream’s engines roared right back and he shrieked up into the sky again.

"I see why Cas doesn't like you flying without him, it's great."

The Seeker chuckled. "Cas says the same thing."

"He seems like a wonderful person."

"He is wonderful. Very sweet and kind. A little lonely though. He seems to be looking for someone special."

"It can't have been easy, leaving everyone he's ever known."

"No, it wasn't. For either of us."

"I'm sorry that you both were hurt like that, there and here."

"... Cas is safe and well. That's all that matters."

"Give it time. I'm sure the slagheads will come around eventually."

Starscream dove to avoid further conversation.

He finally landed, and Optimus pulled up. Cas was beaming.

They exchanged their Companions and settled in to rest on the top of the ridge.

Cas began dozing in Starscream's servo, warmed by the sun.

Starscream stretched his wings out and closed his optics as well, not quite relaxed enough to recharge.

“That was fun.” Optimus said, Smiling.

Starscream nodded. “A lot of fun. I haven’t showed off so much in forever. We should do it again sometime. Cas really enjoyed it.”

“Any time you like, provided I’m not busy.” The Prime invited.

"Thank you. I'm glad he can still smile and laugh after everything. He's still so.... young I suppose."

“Sometimes, Max makes me feel old as well.” Optimus admitted.

“Compared to them, we all are, really.”

The convoy lowered his voice, stroking Max’s back. “How long do you think they’ll live?”

"... I don't know. I hope a long time."

The two mechs considered the view from the ridge. Max snorted and rolled over in his sleep, snuggling into the Prime’s servo more comfortably.

Optimus smiled down at him. "They seem to like each other."

“They do. I think Cas wants Max for a mate.”

"I don't think Max would reject him. He was quite... stunned yesterday morning by him."

Starscream chuckled, lying back on the ground. "As was the intent. Cas agonized over that outfit."

“He’s rather talented.”

Starscream nodded. “Of course. He’s mine.”

The Prime chuckled. "Indeed he is. Well, then I take it you wouldn't object if they became a couple?”

“I wouldn’t.” Starscream nodded. “Though it raises questions and difficulties in my mind. Never mind. It’s just my own ravings.”

“What sort of difficulties?”

“Haven’t you noticed yet? Apparently, when a pair of Companions are separated, they begin to develop discomfort that intensifies the longer they’re apart. It seems that, as a practical matter, a pair of Companions cannot be in relationships without both being in the relationship with a different pair.”

"Ah, which would mean that it would be expected that you and I... I suppose that would be an issue then. I'd never force anyone into a relationship they don't want to be in."

“Nothing against you, but I’m not ready for a relationship with anyone right now.”

“I understand and respect that.”

“Good.” Starscream sat up. “Let’s head back.”

Red Alert and Ironhide were patrolling when they returned together.

Ironhide gave them both a disapproving glare.

They ignored him, talking easily about some new Companion idea or other from what he could hear. "I saw something like it with Max the other day. We could make it big enough for them," Optimus was saying.

Ironhide shook his helm. “Is it just me or do they look… cozy?”

"They do, though at least they're just talking about human stuff," Red Alert said.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Is that such a bad thing? Maybe Starscream has changed."

"As if," Ironhide snorted. His Companion sighed and climbed down. "Oh do what you do want, you great arse." He ran across the grass towards the two talking mechs. Optimus saw him coming and waited, gently picking him up when he was close enough.

Obi-Wan sat in his servo and joined their conversation, pointedly engaging Starscream pleasantly.

Cas sleepily introduced himself. "You're Ironhide's Companion, aren't you?" "That's right," Obi-Wan nodded.

“… He’s kind of grouchy.”

“I know. Sorry about him. I think he’s got something up his port.”

“It would explain it.”

Starscream chuckled and rubbed Cas’s head.

The Companion sighed and relaxed into the sky blue servos.

Obi-Wan watched for a moment then smiled. "I think some could learn better Companion care from you, Starscream. No one is bad at making sure we're taken care of, but... not many go above and beyond as you seem to."

Starscream shrugged. “Cas triggers my caretaker instincts. Seekers have very strong sparkling care protocols.”

“I'm not a sparkling, Maelstrom," Cas said, playfully sticking out his tongue.

“You’re small enough to be, Mini.” Starscream cooed.

“Really, they’re that small?”

“Well, maybe if you were three or four times larger, you would be large enough to be a sparkling.”

"Think you'll have a sparkling, Star?" "Maybe someday."

Cas paused, thinking. “Do you think they’ll have a Companion too?”

"I... don't know. Maybe if you had a little one too, Mini."

Cas thought on that. “There’s too much we don’t know.”

Starscream gently nuzzled him. “We’ll learn.”

“We’ll have too.” Optimus agreed.

Cas nestled better in the Seeker's servo. "Me... a mother. Do you think... I'd be a good one, Star?"

Starscream snorted. “Are you kidding, Cas? You’d be phenomenal.”

"I think so, too," Max said then blushed a little

Optimus tickled Max.

He laughed and squirmed away.

The Seeker chuckled as well and they reached the Prime’s quarters.

Obi-Wan climbed down and went to find something to do. "Thank you for the ride," Cas said. "You're welcome, Cas. Any time," Optimus said, smiling.

Starscream nodded and exchanged a similar greeting with Max before they went towards their own quarters. Sunstreaker was leaning on the wall beside his door.

Cas huddled down, staring at the yellow with wide, frightened eyes.

Starscream stared Sunstreaker in the optics as he opened the door and stepped in. The twin stared back, not making a move towards them.

He shut the door and locked it.

“They won’t try to hurt us, Cas. Not with all the surveillance Red Alert has.” Starscream told his Companion. “Optimus wouldn’t take kindly to it.”

Time passed as way it's way, and Cas's arm healed. He and Max were growing very close, and Starscream and Optimus were growing closer as well. The Seeker found that having a friend aside from his little Companion helped heal the wound Megatron had left on his Spark. Optimus did not step beyond the role of a friend. He told Starscream he like him, but if the Seeker did not wish a relationship would simply remain his friend and had, never letting it get awkward between then, so his 'confession' had simply been him telling Starscream the truth since he valued honesty.

Starscream settled in to a routine with his allies on the Ark: Optimus, Wheeljack, Bumblebee, Pharma, and- surprisingly enough- Ratchet.

After seeing Wheeljack and Starscream on good terms the medic had warmed up to the Seeker and was a vocal ally. Now Strascream got the same gruff but protective treatment as everyone else from Ratchet.

Ironhide, Cliffjumper, the Twins, Prowl, and Red Alert were his most vocal detractors-though there were certainly more- but only the Twins and their Companions- Tomax and Xamot- truly made the Seeker nervous.

Cas was terrified of them and often tried to hide when they were around. Obi-Wan was at odd with Ironhide due to his friendship with Cas and Starscream, but the human stood firm in his choice and often berated Ironhide.

Others like Rodimus and Jazz had a more neutral stand. They weren't defending Starscream and Cas unless it was absolutely needed like someone starting taking insults too far, but they weren't tearing him down either. They treated him all right and wouldn't brush him off if he asked them a question, but it still wasn't overly helpful either.


	9. Chapter 9

The base was sleeping peacefully when the power went out. Everything became dark and the security system shut down. No alarms meant that most of the base was caught unawares by the chaos of a lightning quick stealth raid.

The few that were awake could only scream out in hopes of rousing anyone who heard. Cas screamed, having woken up to use the bathroom, waking Starscream. Since Megatron dumped him into the drawer Cas was terrified of the dark.

Starscream rushed to his Companion, blind and cursing. He booted his radar and began scanning. Planes didn’t use headlights.

Cas huddled into a ball, sobbing in fear.

“Shh…” Starscream soothed him, grabbing the manual override for the door and opening it. They had to get outside, find Prime. Unfortunately, the door opening was exactly what his assailants were waiting for.

A blow to the helm sent him tumbling down with just enough awareness to shield Cas and keep him from getting hurt before he passed out.

Optimus snapped awake as a hauntingly melodic Seeker’s scream hit his audials. “What is going on?” The rest of the officers were soon awake as well and joining the chaos of repelling the Decepticons. The raid was led by Soundwave and his cassettes, and seemed to be targeted towards the brig, so that was where he ran, hoping to cut them off.

Max was on his shoulder, armed and ready.

Soundwave avoided the Prime in the dark. “Soundwave: Superior.”

Optimus flicked on his headlights, lighting up the sneaky tape deck. “Optimus Prime: Adaptable.”

“Starscream said you helped him and Cas get away, Soundwave." If he would help the Seeker escape from Megatron perhaps he was redemanble.

“Soundwave: Acted to preserve Companion’s life.”

"Commendable. I don't want to hurt you, Soundwave, your Cassettes, or any of your Companions. I'm getting tired of fighting, and now all for the sake of Megatron simply saying so.”

“Optimus Prime: Attempting to manipulate. Soundwave: Resists.”

“It’s called mercy, Soundwave. Are you looking for Starscream?”

“Soundwave: Searching. Starscream: Location?”

"In the living wing, not here in the brig."

“Starscream: Return with Soundwave. Megatron: Will leave if Starscream returned.”

"What about Cas? Megatron tried to kill him, and Starscream won't give him up."

“Starscream’s Companion: Will be cared for by Soundwave.”

"Well, you can see if he'll accept that for yourself, but he might not want to go or give Cas to you."

“Prime: Escort Soundwave to Starscream?”

“Yes, this way and stay close.”

Soundwave fell in stride with Optimus.

They made their way to Starscream's room, but the Seeker was nowhere to be seen. "Strange. I thought I heard him yell, but I thought he'd been surprised and figured we'd find him fighting or something. Starscream?! Cas?!"

Soundwave scanned the rooms. "Starscream: Not here." There was a tone from the cassette deck. "Soundwave: Must leave."

"Go then." "Optimus, on the floor!" Both mechs looked down, and Optimus picked up the piece of cloth. "It's Cas's blanket." "Do you think... something happened?" Max asked.

Optimus looked around the room, then looked at Soundwave's retreating back. "I don't know. We'll have to get the power back on first."

"Then lets hurry."

Wheeljack, Optimus, and Perceptor met near the generator and, after much cursing and swearing, managed to restore power to the base.

Starscream and Cas... were nowhere to be found, but he wasn't with the gathered Decepticons outside. This was confirmed by Megatron demanding the return of the Seeker.

A thorough search revealed no Seeker. Starscream might have simply vanished.

Meanwhile, said Seeker was slowly coming to again.

There was a wire gag in his mouth and- to top it off- a Seeker hood over his helm. He couldn't see or hear anything.

When it was taken off there was a flood light shining directly into his face, leaving him unable to make out his kidnappers.

The gag was left firmly in place, suggesting that wherever he was, there was a danger of discovery if he made too much noise. Was that a good or a bad thing for him?

A table was pushed in front of him, and Cas lay bound and gagged on it.

His optics widened.

His sweet little Companion looked up at him in terror.

One of his tormentors was behind him. There was a vocal scrambler over his intake, he couldn't recognize the voice. "We saw Sentinel's frame when you were done with him, you know."

He growled. That's what this was about then. A digit pressed on Cas, just enough to make him wince and convey the threat as the Seeker began to struggle a little.

"That's a good boy." The voice hissed as he stopped moving quickly. "We never understood the appeal you had for the old Prime." Servos were on his helm, moving down his neckcables, massaging.

Two masked Companions approached Cas.

Starscream tried to yelp, shaking his helm as they knelt beside him.

The masks were made so their mouths were free, and one pulled Cas up by his hair and kissed him hard.

Starscream rocked forwards, only to find that the chair he was on was bolted to the floor. A silent mantra began in his processor. “Not Cas, not Cas, not Cas…”

The other began running his hands over Cas's backside then shoved on hand between his legs to grip his little sweet between then legs.

The Seeker turned pleading optics on the vague outline of his second captor. He shook his helm in denial, looking pointedly at Cas, then spread his own legs in invitation.

“Hmm…” The voice considered. “Offering yourself like the whore you are? Do you think whatever you can offer is worth sparing your Companion for?”

"Even if it was we wouldn't take it," said the first, "Our Companions think he's pretty and have been wanting to play with him. Besides, the best way to hurt someone is through the ones they care about."

Starscream spat silent vitriol at them, raging as the two Companions stripped Cas.

The first eagerly began, hard and fast, Cas jerking under him, tears running down his face.

Starscream wept, unable to tear his optics away. 

"Good?" asked his second captor. The Companion nodded.

The second Companion became impatient for his turn and pushed into the pile, taking Cas from behind.

He gave a muffled cry of pain and shock and sobbed around the gag.

Starscream looked up at the first captor and pleaded with his optics. 

"Don't break him, you two. I thought you wanted to keep him."

The two eased up and moved more slowly. Starscream sobbed, helm drooping.

“Watch.” The captor behind him gripped his helm and forced him upright. “I want you to see everything.”

Cas; eyes widened, and he began crying more as the pain turned to the pleasure, a hated pleasure.

Starscream reached out to him, gently. Hoping to shield him.

"Good, little one. You'll be a nice pet. What do you think, boys, want to make him a little breeder?"

Starscream could only imagine the leacherously gleeful expressions on the Companion’s faces. 

The first Companion came, filling Cas then pulled out and the second quickly entered to fill him even more. The brunette sobbed.

Starscream’s optics rolled between his captors. They were snickering, and he wondered when they would get with the program, when it would be his turn. If they were going to allow their Companions to keep Cas, he couldn’t imagine what horrendous ideas they had in store for him.

"Oh don't worry, that's too good for you, and besides, we don't want to dirty ourselves with you. You're going to watch this, watch him get big with little ones, and when he's had the first, you'll see it just before we snuff you."

Starscream lashed out at them, slamming himself into the piece of furniture and forwards again, shaking with the intensity of the hate and rage that filled him. He pounded his strong legs into the floor and arched against his binds, tearing at himself.

"Hold him before someone hears that racket!" Meanwhile the whole base had been searched, and even by the ones who didn't like Starscream, though they wanted to know where the Seeker was so they were assured he wasn't up to anything. That was when Ratchet threw out a question that none of them had yet to think. "Hey,... where are the twins?"

Optimus felt something horrible building in his tanks. “You don’t think…”

"Fraggit, but I do. Find them! Now!"

Their quarters were empty, and the search renewed. 

Now it was frantic. Optimus ordered Red Alert to scan for them as several took the outdoor to search as well.

In the deepest parts of the base, closest to the caved in sections, Ironhide began hearing… banging.

He hurried towards the noise.

It was on the other side of a wall, but the doorway was caved in. The weapons specialist backed up and aimed one of his cannons at the wall.

The three mechs stopped their struggle when the door and ruble blasted in, and Ironhide appeared. "Sunstreaker! Sideswipe, what the frag are you doin'?!" "He tired to kill us when-" Before they could finish Ironhide saw Cas and the state the Seeker was in trying to get to his poor Companion.

Ironhide’s expression crumpled, becoming sad and regretful. “No… What have you done?”

“Why do you suddenly care, ‘Hide?”

“Because you’ve multiplied horrors, Sunstreaker. Look what you’ve done! Cas is innocent in this mess.”

"He belongs to Starscream so-" "So what?!"

The twins stared at Ironhide, not cowed, and not particularly repentant. “What are you going to do?”

"First, call Optimus." He opened the comm. "Prime, found 'em. At the cave in." He then backed the twins away at cannon level and freed Starscream, who lunged for the Companions.

Tomax and Xamot scattered as Starscream plucked Cas up and ran at top speed for the medbay.

He barreled right back Optimus. "Starscream?!" "Prime!" Ironhide called. He sighed and went to confront of the twins. Ratchet turned as Starscream came running to him, Cas in his servos.

“Help him!” The Seeker sputtered out. “Please!”

"Primus... Come on!"They rushed into the medbay, as Ratchet had been looking still, and First Aid and his Companion were there.

Leonard, Malachi- First Aid’s Companion- and Lucas- Pharma’s- all gathered around Cas, tending him with all of their skill, mending his body, cleaning him, administering a shot to stop his ovaries from producing for the next few days, and purging out Xamot and Tomax’s foul seed.

Rather they tried to administer the shot. Cas screamed at the sight of the needle and struggled wildly, knocking the syringe out of Leonard's hand.

Starscream gently stroked Cas's face. "Cas, shh... They have to. Shh... I know you're scared, but let them work... Shh..."

"No!" He grabbed Starscream's digit, shaking and sobbing. "Take me home, Star! Please!"

“Cas, shh… We’ll go as soon as they’re done. Do you want me to hold you? I can hold you.”

"Get them away from me! Please, Star!" He looked so terrified.

“Shh…” Starscream picked him up and held him still. Leonard administered the shot as quickly as possible and the doctors waved them away.

He started out, but Prowl came in and blocked him.

Starscream gave the Praxian a tired look. “Walk away, Prowl, you don’t want to do this.”

“Optimus is putting the twins on trial. I know you had a servo in this.”

“Excuse me?” Starscream’s voice was deadly soft.

"Don't play innocent, Starscream. You used the attack to get rid of some of us who see you for what you really are."

Starscream opened his servos and silently showed Cas to Prowl, wings beginning to shake with pent-up rage.

Cas was still dirty, but he had refused to let the other Companions touch him long enough to clean him. He was shaking and still crying.

Prowl’s expression changed from angry determination to shock and horror.

"They let their Companions do this. They were going to make Cas a breeder and make me watch until he gave birth then snuff me and keep Cas for Xamot and Tomax to... play with... as they pleased."

“No…” Prowl whispered.

“Yes.” Starscream sparklessly stated. He closed his servos again and turned to the side delivering Prowl a shouldered blow that forced him out of the way. “Excuse me if I don’t wait for pleasantries.”

He stormed off, leaving Prowl to turn to the medics.

All six of them bowed their heads and nodded, confirming what Starscream had said.

"How... how could they do that?"

“Hatred.” Pharma stated simply. “Hatred for someone… Just a little bit different.” He gathered up his Companion and left the medbay.

Starscream was gently bathing Cas when someone knocked on his door. "Starscream?" came Optimus' voice.

“We’re here.” Starscream called back, weary. “Now might not be the best time.”

“All right. We’ll come back later.”

The Seeker tenderly wrapped Cas in a towel and held him close to his spark, rocking as he sat down on his berth.

Optimus returned at evening energon. "Starscream? We brought you energon."

There was no response, so the convoy opened the door. Starscream was asleep with Cas in the towel next to him.

Optimus set the cubes nearby and left.

Cas and Starscream didn’t emerge from their quarters for days.


	10. Chapter 10

The twins were sent into exile from Earth, and when they had left was when the two came out. Cas stayed in the Seeker's cockpit. At first no one knew what to do or say when the Seeker came into the rec room for afternoon energon. He gave Cas his cube then shut his cockpit again. Finally, Lorth, Bumblebee's young Companion, crept over towards the Seeker.

Starscream looked at the tiny human and sighed, picking him up gently. “Yes?”

“Will he be okay?”

“I hope so, little one.”

He was returned to Bumblebee. Cliffjumper was silent, Prowl couldn't even look in their direction.

Optimus and Max approached their table. “May we sit?”

The Seeker nodded, and Max approached. "Cas?" he called.

Cas sniffled and Starscream opened his cockpit. “Max?”

"May I come in?" he asked gently.

“…Sure.”

He climbed up, and Starscream let his cockpit close most of the way so others couldn't hear them. Cas was curled up and looked up at Max with tears in his eyes.

Max opened his arms gently and Cas rolled into them, sobbing.

He cradled the smaller man, rocking him. "Oh, love."

Optimus put a servo on Starscream's where it lay, helpless and twitching slightly.

The Seeker gripped it, feeling just as helpless. He had failed to protect his Companion.

Optimus squeezed back as the Seeker bowed like a reed and shook with repressed tears.

The Prime gently hugged him in a mirror of their Companions.

He cast a reproving gaze about and all optics turned back to their meals or to the floor.

He led Starscream outside, away from prying optics.

The fresh air gave both Seeker and Companion much needed freedom to grieve for innocence lost.

Cas began pushing Max away as he came to the thought that he was now dirty, tainted, and unworthy. Max wouldn't, couldn't, still want him.

Max clung to him like a starving man to a loaf of bread, loving him and whispering kind words into his ears.

He shook, sobbing even more. "No. No! I'm dirty!"

"No, no, you're clean, and beautiful, and pure, and I would want you even if they had been with you a thousand times. I want you, Cas... I want you."

"Why? How can you say that?" "Because I love you."

Cas trembled at the admission, then buried himself in Max.

"I love you," he whispered back.

Optimus gently held Starscream while he cried, hating that he had been hurt this way, hating that Cas had been hurt this way.

"I'm so sorry, Starscream. I... I'm so sorry."

The Seeker shook his helm. "It's not... It's not your fault."

"I still feel responsible."

"Did you knock us out? Drag us away? Tie us down? Don't take actions that aren't yours on your shoulders."

"They're my men, men I said you'd be safe from..."

Starscream slapped him. "Get a grip, Optimus. You shouldn't have made that promise, just like you can't take responsibility for their actions."

"I know, I know." Starscream let the convoy hug him again then drew out Cas and Max.Max was practically wrapped around the smaller Companion, holding him, shielding him. Optimus took them, and Cas looked at the Prime, who gently kissed his head.

Cas looked at Starscream and some understanding passed between them. Max snuggled down over Cas while Optimus cupped them. Starscream placed his servos over and below Optimus's, holding them. Convoy and Seeker stared deeply into each other's optics, scarlet and sapphire meeting.

"Starscream?"

"Optimus."

"May I...?" "... Yes." The Prime kissed him gently.

They scooted close, gently. The Seeker threw his legs across the convoy and inched up into his lap, wings folding back.

Optimus carefully freed one servo to wrap his arm around Starscream's waist.

Starscream leaned against his chassis, freeing his opposite servo to wrap around his neck.

They finally broke the kiss, and the pieces seemed to fall into place, mostly. There would always be pain over what had happened, but with love, real love, it would be easier to bear.

Starscream laid his helm on Optimus's shoulder and Optimus watched the sunset reflecting off of the Seeker's paintjob.

"People are going to think I have a power kink." Starscream sighed.

"Let them. It's not their business."

"Are you sure you want to walk down this road? Sentinel, Megatron... then you? I'd understand if you had to think about it."

"I don't need to think about, Starscream, because I already know the conclusion I'd come to;... I love you."

Starscream's lipplates turned up into a blissful smile. "I love you too."

They stayed out until Max and Cas fell asleep, in an adorable... pretzel. They were wrapped around each other, or rather Max was wrapped around Cas, who was clinging to him.

The Cybertronians carried them together, walking slowly back to the Ark and through it. When they reached Optimus's door, the convoy looked down at the two Companions, showing no sign of loosening their hold.

"I think Max is bunking with you. Cas should probably still wake up in his nest since that's familiar to him."

"Don't be stupid, Optimus." Starscream gripped his elbow and dragged him along the corridor. "Come on."

"Sleepover." Starscream laughed. "Yay!" he cheered, joining in the joke. They reached his quarters in giggles.

Optimus made sure to wave to the cameras as Starscream dragged him into the berthroom and laid the Companions in Cas's nest.

Optimus covered them with the blanket. "They're adorable together."

"They are, aren't they? Where would we be without them?"

"LOst in the dark, lonely pits of space? Or something that feels like it."

Starscream nodded, chuckling. "I'm going to polish up. If you care to, you can join me."

"Sounds like a good way to unwind." "It is. It's also why I don't let Cas take a bath right before bed by himself. With him it's a drowning hazard." Optimus chuckled.


	11. Chapter 11

Morning came bright and clear. Max was warm and laying on something so wonderfully soft. He slowly opened his eyes to find Cas asleep beside him, and he was in Cas's nest. It was.... really, REALLY nice.

He kissed Cas's forehead and stretched. Now, this was way nicer than the mini-berths Wheeljack had made. Cybertronians could lie on hardened rubber just fine, but humans? Humans needed nests, he decided.

Cas yawned and blinked away with an adorable Seeker-like sound. "Max?" "Morning, beautiful." He smiled dreamily. "Morning." He snuggled back down, waking up was so hard, he loved being in his nest.

Max snuggled back down with him. He agreed with Cas.

"Think Starscream would consider making these for the rest of us?" "You can ask him. He made my first one after I had fallen asleep in my box. It was much better than the bottom of the box, though... I kind of miss the walls."

"Maybe we can find you another box. With a door and a little light in case the power goes out again. I bet Wheeljack could fit it out with all the trimmings."

Cas smiled. "Just made a whole house," he giggled.

Max chuckled as well. "I think just a bedroom would do. Give us some privacy."

"Us.... I like the sound of that."

"I do too." Max sighed. "What do you think? Think those two will get together?"

"If you rolled over you'd see your answer, Max."

Max turned over to look. Starscream was curled up on top of Optimus, snuggled in and wings angled towards the convoy.

He smiled. "Awww. Cuuute." Cas giggled and snuggled into him.

Max sat up. "Come on, I want to show you something Optimus and I discovered."

"Okay." Cas let him over the the little elevator Wheeljack had made him once Starscream told the inventor that Cas was sleeping up on a desk he wasn't using, so Wheeljack had made some adjustments to allow Cas to not only get up and down the desk easily but in and out of the bathroom and the room itself.

Max had Cas lead him to Starscream's media screen and tapped into an Earthling frequency. "Saturday morning cartoons."

The sound soon roused the mechs, who joined them to watch Looney Tunes.

Starscream raised his optical ridges. "Bizarre. These earthlings must have fluid bones to bend like that."

"I checked their information on the net, they're not real, they're made up to entertain people. They're cartoons," Optimus explained.

"Ah. I see." Starscream nodded, still perplexed.

Still he laughed and enjoyed thm. When Looney Tunes finished, Cas kissed Max's cheek and went to dress.

Max was still in his clothes from yesterday, which he decided would do.

Cas returned in a red shirt, cream pants, a brown belt with a twisting golden inlay, and brown flats.

Max whistled.

He blushed and giggled. "Star, can I go talk to Wjeeljack? I want to ask him something?"

"Go ahead." Starscream smiled. "I'll carry you."

"Why don't we just go? A walk would do us some good," Max offered.

"All right." Starscream purred to the convoy beside him. "What do you think, Optimus?   
What shall we do with our free time?"

"Tag?" "Sure, but root form only, no transforming." "Deal. Outside then, free to join in." Starscream nodded. Cas and Max headed off, and Starscream and Optimus went outside. Bumblebee, Jazz, Pharma, and Rodimus joined in the game fairly quickly.

Pharma and Starscream were a wicked tag-team, though Pharma, who was courting Rodimus- even if the sports car hadn't realized it yet- favored the Praxian. *What do you see in that peacock?*

"He was the first besides Optimus to accept me and treat like a normal mech. He's funny, and under all that preening he's got a big, soft Spark."

*I'll take your word for it. But if he hurts you, he's going to get a nullray up the tailpipe.*

Pharma smiled and nuzzled his aeriemate. When the game ended Starscream went to get Cas for energon. He found him and Max in their quarters panting a box that hadn't been there before.

"A box? Is this what you went to Wheeljack for?" He questioned the Companions.

"Yes." "And if he make more frabic,... if you're willing to make nests for the Companions who want one," Cas."

"All right. They're simple enough.” Starscream agreed.

He began inspecting the box.

"Is this a... room?" He questioned, looking inside.

They nodded together. There was a door, a light, and, what appeared to be a retractable roof... ceiling like a convertible car.

"Wheeljack went all out." Max explained.

"Well I wanted a box again, and Max suggested the door and light, and Wheeljack added the roof." The box was about 12 feet long and 8 feet wide, Cas nest was at one end and a bookshelf against the wall and a table and two chairs at the other end, there were four lights, two on each 12 foot wall.

"Neat. It will be nice to be able to give each other privacy."

"Does this mean one of us is moving?" Cas asked.

"Well, unless you want me to go in there." Starscream tapped the box. "Which I don't think is possible."

" I mean moving quarters, Stars."

"I honestly don't know, Cas. This week... it's been a ride."

"I know," came the near whisper.

Starscream picked him up and nuzzled him. "Plus... Privacy can be important in a new relationship. I want to have a space of my own."

"Okay." He kissed his Companion. "I love you, Mini." "Love you, too, Maelstorm." He smiled and put Cas back down. "Well, I suppose I should go see Wheeljack about nest materials." "We can ask around at energon to see who wants one," Max offered.

"Thank you, Max." Starscream smiled at the Companion and went out.

Cas and Max hurried to afternoon energon, and other Companions joined them at a table. Max was quick to praise the nests and asked who would like one. Other mechs took note of the conversation and felt a little bad they hadn't bothered to actually ask their Companions if the mini berth was enough or if they wanted to sleep on something else.

The request list for nests was as long as Starscream's wing. Max volunteered his own new nest for others to try out and they became a hit.

Soon every mini berth had been replaced with a nest. The relationships between Max and Cas and Optimus and Starscream steadily grew stronger and deeper.  



	12. Chapter 12

They slept together almost every night, excluding when Starscream- who had taken up his old profession again- was engrossed in a project or when Optimus simply had to get through his paperwork.

Of course that didn't stop their Companions. Cas now hated it when Max was not present in his nest at night and therefore could not wake up with him.

Of course, both mechs intervened if the other was burning out. Starscream's favored method so far was to sit in Optimus's lap and prevent him from doing any work until he went to berth. Optimus Prime's method was much simpler: Grab Starscream about the waist and toss him over his shoulder to carry him off.

Finally Max asked Cas to marry him.

Cas... Wanted to accept. He really did. But marriage meant a certain permanence that he didn't know if Stars was ready for. He had to ask his Companion.

Max understood, though it still hurt a little for the both of them, and Cas ran to the Seeker, who was working in their quarters. "Star!"

"Cas! Are you all right? Is something wrong?" The Seeker looked up from his reaction.

"Max asked me to marry him."

"Congratulations!" Starscream smiled.

"I... didn't answer him."

"Oh." He frowned. "Because of me?"

His Companion nodded.

"Oh, Cas... That's very sweet." He sighed. "Go back, and say yes."

"But what about you?"

"If Max is proposing, I don't imagine Optimus will wait long."

"Now go." Cas kissed his cheekplate and ran. Max was in the rec room now for afternoon energon when Cas tackled in him a kiss.

Max was knocked over, arms latching around Cas and kissing him back.

Laughter, cheers, and cat-calls rang out. "Yes," Cas whispered, smiling.

Max kissed him. "Oh, I love you."

The smaller Companion nuzzled him. "Love you, too."

Optimus chuckled picking them up. "He said yes?"

"Yes!" they both shouted, snuggling happily.

Optimus nuzzled them. "I have some high grade in my quarters."

"You go get your helm out of your port to ask Starscream," Cas huffed. Max chuckled and kissed Cas's cheek. "Isn't he cute when giving orders?"

"Adorable." Optimus smiled. "But I'm afraid marriage for Starscream and I isn't as simple as it seems to be for humans."

"Why?"

"Because when two Cybertronians marry, we agree to conjoin our sparks as one. It's permanent."

"Optimus." "Hmm?" "Put us down, turn around, go ask him, and I don't think you'll be disappointed if I know my Maelstorm."

Optimus nodded. "Yes, sir." He dropped them off in his quarters with the high grade.

Starscream looked up and smiled when Optimus came in. "Cas say yes?" "Yep, and ordered me here."

Starscream stood up and put away his reaction for safety. "Oh?"

Optimus took his servos. "Starscream, would you be willing to be my Conjux Endura?"

"..." Starscream's expression was shadowed by the tilt of his helm.

The Prime waited anxiously.

"Not yet." Starscream quietly replied.

"... Oh... I... understand."

"Optimus... I'm sorry."

"I know. I will wait, Star." He kissed the Seeker gently and left. Cas returned on his own. "Star.... why?"

"I'm not ready." The Seeker was working over his reactions again. "Bonding is... Is a big step. It's one thing, Cas, to be in love, it's another to be permanently tied."

"Do you want to be with him?"

"Cas... I'm afraid." Starscream looked up at the wall, staring into nothing. "There's so much slag in my past, I can't take this step without being certain. When I stand before the Assembly and pledge my spark and life to Optimus, I don't want to be afraid."

"Why are you afraid?"

"No, Cas... You can't talk me out of this, and I can't grit my denteas on it and charge forwards. I have to grow out of it."

"You can still tell me why you're afraid, Star."

"Because I lost my last three significant others, with someone who was supposed to be my Amica in between- however much of a farce that was."

"You're afraid he'll leave you or back out?"

"Or be killed. Or I'll hurt him. Or worse, we'll be incompatible."

"Incomp- KILL HIM?! Starscream, what?! Why the frag do you think you'd do that?!"

"I said I was afraid he would be killed, not that I'd kill him!" The Seeker hissed.

"Hurt him then. You said you're afraid you'll hurt him. How? Why?"

"Drive him away. Be obnoxious over time. Snap and do something stupid. Anything along those lines, really."

"Um, Star." "Yeah?" "We're both obnoxious and stupid.... they've figured that out."

Starscream buried his faceplate in his servos. "OhmyPrimusthisisnothappeningtome... Cas, what did I say about not talking me out of it?"

"I'm trying to help you not talk you out of it. You don't think I'm scared too? I know this is a big step. I thought I was gonna faint when Max asked." "Really?" His Companion nodded.

Starscream sighed, hugging himself. "Cas, I love Optimus. But I've learned that love isn't always enough. I've managed to avoid sparkbonding to the wrong person twice now, and they were near misses. I just want to be certain, beyond shadow of doubt."

"I know. He's scared, too, you know.... and a drunk hot mess currently. Which is how I know he's scared, he's the 'sharing' drunj, it's kinda funny. Affectionate too. He was cuddling Max when I left.

"Primus, that sounds cute..." Starscream muttered, sighing. "Now... I haven't outright rejected him. I've said "Not Yet" not never. Do I go to him? Act as normal? I don't want this to hurt our relationship."

"Just talk to him... when he's sober. Be honest with him, Star, and he'll be with you, too."

The Seeker nodded. "Cas... This won't effect you and Max. Optimus... I'm making him my last chance. I'll stay with him, and with you, even if I never manage to let go. So... Go enjoy your evening with your Intended."

"I can't... he's a cuddle toy remember?"

"Hmm. Then I suppose we should both go to berth. I imagine at least one person will have a sore head in the morning."

"Yeah, or I was gonna get Jazz to help me get Max, he's on night shift."

“Oh, let’s not drag Jazz into this or everyone will know I spited the Prime.” Starscream groaned.

“Okay."


	13. Chapter 13

It was early morning when Max trudged in. Starscream was already awake and smiled as the man took the lift up to Cas's box. Cas sat up when Max came in and snuggled up to him. "He snores when he's drunk. It was so loud." Cas hugged him, "My poor love," he cooed, " Sleep with me now, I'm not getting up yet." Max crawled under the blanket and pillowed his head on Cas's small breasts. Cas giggled and kissed his head.

Starscream chuckled softly and closed the bedroom door quietly. He went to the REC room and brought a cube for himself and two for Prime. After a drunken night, he'd need it.

As if summoned by his thoughts Optimus came out of his quarters looking miserable. "Have fun last night?" he quipped. "If my processorache is anything to go by… no.”

Starscream chuckled softly and lifted the cubes he was carrying. “I brought breakfast. Care to let me in? Or am I persona non grata?”

“Come in.”

Starscream stepped inside and sat down on the couch, trying to be casual.

Optimus wearily lifted his helm. "Morning. I think... I made an aft of myself last night."

“You had a few cubes too many. I brought you low-grade. That should soften the blow.”

"Thank you. I'm sorry... if I made you feel rush or uncomfortable last night when I asked you to bond."

“No. It’s truly all right.” Starscream shrugged. “It seems I am a coward. I was ready up until the question was asked.”

The Prime smiled. "I was until it came out of my mouth. Once I said it I couldn't believe I just had asked you that and began to internally panic."

“Optimus… I would like to be registered in your name. If you want that. I know it doesn’t mean as much as a sparkbond, but…”

Optimus cupped his cheekplate. "Star, this goes at your pace. I thought I was ready, too, but I'm afraid that I'll disappoint you somehow or not be what you truly want. I've never been so serious about someone before, so I'm new to this."

Starscream sighed. “I feel like I’m going to need high grade for this conversation.” He murmured. He leaned on the convoy slowly, allowing for Optimus to push him away. He didn’t. “This… This is my fifth time to approach the altar.”

"Oh, Star... I thought it was nerve wracking being my first."

“… My first was a shuttle mech. Bigger than you or Megatron. He was sweet and kind… Our frames may have been pushing compatibility, but our sparks… We burned for each other. First love: It’s like being drunk.” Starscream smiled wistfully. “And let me tell you, Skyfire was the sweetest, smoothest high grade I’d ever tasted.”

“Skyfire? Oh... I heard about.... I'm sorry, Starscream."

“It was a long time ago.” Starscream’s lipplates crumpled in bitterly. “Looking back, it never would have worked. We were too different and similar at the same time. We had little we could talk about that we hadn’t already talked to death.”

"I'm still sorry. It can't have been easy to lose him."

“It wasn’t. I’d never felt so broken, so hurt.”

Optimus hugged him for a moment.

“Then there was the uprising in Vos, which Sentinel quelched as easily as stepping on an insect, and I grew up fast. Sentinel had seen me before, but it wouldn’t have been seemly to take me when I was just a law-abiding scientist. A Seeker, yes, but not one with a criminal record or any history of troublemaking that he could use for an excuse. I gave him the perfect one when I joined my people in trying to struggle free.”

Optimus growled.

“Oh, I fought. For every inch. I was his “favorite” because I was the most spirited. I fascinated him. He wanted to tame, to break, to own…”

“He deserved that shot to the helm.”

“He did.” Starscream sighed. “I was registered in his name, of course, and as a Seeker captive- the prize of a defeated city- I had no right to resist his advances. Perhaps that was my mistake. I showed him my strength, resisted mightily, and so he broke me. I was ready for him to take me, wholly and with nothing in reserve, when… When he came into my life.”

“Who?”

“The sweetest mech you’d ever know. Orion Pax: A data archivist. I lived in a veritable prison, but I had a few moments of freedom. The garden Sentinel gave me so I could see the sky- enclosed in glass- was one of them.” He snorted. “I was spoiled, or he tried to. But that’s beside the point. There was a bench in the far corner and that corner met the palace garden on the other side of the wall. And in that wall, there was a crack, which I had widened until I had taken out a whole brick and I could see through it and hear free mechs going about their business. Orion would bring his datapads and sit with his back to me… and sing.”

"That sounds so sweet... and... strangely... familiar. Maybe I heard something similar somewhere or read something similar."

“It was sweet.” Starscream’s vents hitched in a sob. “Everything about him was sweet. He used to bring me cubes of energon- just plain energon- because I told him the things I had on hand were too rich for my taste. We would sit for hours and speak through the wall. He brought me books…”

“Sounds like he spoiled you when Sentinel couldn't. Good on him."

The seeker raised a servo to his optics, coolant running from beneath it. “… We were stupid, reckless. We began to hold each other’s servos through the wall. I widened the hole- I knew it was risky- but I wanted- I wanted-“

Optimus held him again, letting him gather himself.

“… I just wanted to kiss him. Hold him. The wall was covered with vining plants. We were making a hidden arch, where we thought no one would see. But someone discovered our work, and Sentinel knew… He let us finish it. Let us savor a moment where I could step through, into his arms, back to life. We finally were able to embrace and kiss,... and then Sentinel arrived. He brought his guards- like the coward he was- and the twins held me back while he beat Orion to death right before my optics. Orion was an archivist! He didn’t stand a chance against him… and that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was the look in Orion’s optics. He wasn’t afraid to die… he was worried that I would have to live! That I would stay there in the hell life had fashioned for me.” He stared down at his blue servos. “Sentinel… gave me his servos as a reminder.”

"He what?! That's... I might purge."

“Not the way you’re thinking. I mean, he gave me Orion’s servos, as in he cut them off and made me keep them. They were his downfall, in the end. I fashioned the weapon that killed him out of them and other materials. Then took his plating and plated it over my own. I took vengeance on our tormentor with my lover’s own servos.” Starscream’s optics glittered. “I wish you could have seen his face. It was priceless.”

"I'm sure it was. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

“After that I ran. I was an icon to the Decepticons, but I didn’t know it. I spent my days scrounging, avoiding the guardsmen, working to escape Iacon. I was bestial and instinctive, living for no reason other than my spark refused to go out. And Megatron found me in the wilds, showed me that my actions had given people hope… Shared all of his dreams and trusted me with his fears… and I believed in him.”

"I'm sorry. You don't deserve anything that happened to you," he said, rubbing his helm. It still hurt, but he really didn't expect anything less from such a hangover.

“Now there’s you. And there’s a little voice in the back of my processor reminding me how many times I’ve loved and lost, and it could easily happen again, and I’m a fool because a piece of me believes it. I’m afraid to take this step.” The Seeker looked into his optics. “Optimus, when I bond to you, I don’t want to be afraid.”

"I understand, sweetspark. Take all the time you need. I will wait. In the meantime we'll spoil our Companions."

Starscream dropped his helm to Optimus’s shoulder, weary. “Optimus… please don’t be jealous when I say that there are days when I still miss Orion like I’d miss my wings.”

"I don't blame you. He sounds wonderful, and hopefully was a better drinker than me."

Starscream laughed. "He couldn't hold even a drop of high grade. Just a sip made him into a blithering, jabbering mess." He smiled. "Oh, Optimus... I need you as much as I need my wings." He kissed his lipplates. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He smirked. "But I don't love hangovers." The Seeker giggled. "I'll let you rest and go fly. Maybe Cas and Max are awake enough to join me." "Have fun."

Starscream kissed him again and went to collect his Companions. Optimus went back to berth, helm ringing, knowing he wouldn’t get any work done. He dreamed of mechs he had never known.


	14. Chapter 14

As the days passed he grew distant. After first Starscream was hurt but quickly realized that his love was truly distracted completely by something, so he backed off and just waited for Optimus to puzzle out whatever it was on his own time. He knew how time consuming something that distracting could be when you just couldn't focus on anything else.

The Seeker did his best to be supportive without being intrusive, always offering an audial, but not asking the burning question. About a decacycle after agreeing to be registered in Optimus’s name, he was giving the convoy a realignment and polish.

Optimus had been mostly on autopilot and suddenly sprang to life with a shout of, "I remember!"

Starscream jumped, polish spilling all down his front. “Primusdammit!”

"Huh? Oh, Star, I'm sorry."

“It’s all right. I can make more later.” Starscream sighed. “Now what has you so excited?”

"I remember. I remember my life before I was Prime, before the Matrix." "You mean you didn't?" Optimus shook his helm. "No. Sentinel built me to be a weapon, but after he died the Matrix chose me a the next Prime."

“… I don’t understand, Optimus.”

“Star, I… I was… Orion.”

Starscream’s mouth dropped open and his optics widened. 

"I know it's a shock... it was for me too. He took my processor and built this frame around it, a final bit of revenge I guess."

Starscream shot into his arms and held him close, optics prickling with coolant.

Optimus held him close and began to softly sing his favorite song, or the favorite out of the ones he had sung to him as Orion.

Orion’s voice had been high and sweet, Optimus’s was low and smooth, breaking over Starscream like waves as he sang of herbs, true love, and the sadness of long-parted lovers. The Seeker sobbed brokenly, relieved and confused, elated and grieving all over again.

The Prime held him through it all until he finally pulled back.

Starscream searched his faceplates for similarity and found it, not in the features- Orion’s had been squashed and indistinct whereas Optimus was the picture of strong, stylish beauty- but in the expression, the tone of the soft, ocean optics.

He cupped his face and gazed into those warm, loving optics.

The Seeker murmured a Vosnian affection before pressing a kiss to the lipplates.

Optimus kissed him back tenderly. "Starbaby."

"Dataworm." Starscream nuzzled him. "I'm so sorry..."

"For what, lunangel?”

“If I had known… a breath, a word, a whisper… we would not have been separated four million years.” 

"Star,... *I* didn't know. How could you have known?"

"Just forgive me, love. For not knowing, for letting you die, for being so foolish in the first place... take your pick, my offenses are too many to count, but forgive me, I beg you."

"Of course I do, Star. Of course I do."

Starscream leaned into him, listening to his spark pulse. "I can't believe I've found you... I can't believe you're alive..."

"You've been so strong, my Shooting Star. So many others would have given up, but you didn't."

"I wish I could have... But then we wouldn't be here, at last."

"No we wouldn't. Nor would Max and Cas be together and happily planning their wedding."

Starscream nodded and shuttered his optics. "We have so many things we didn't get before. I'm happy, Optimus. I really am. I don't know why I'm still crying."

"Because you're so happy, Star." he had his own tears starting to split as well, nuzzling the Seeker.

Starscream kissed him back, coolant mingling on their faceplates.

Doubts, fears,... they washed away in their tears. He had his freedom-song back.

And so Cas and Max's wedding became a bonding ceremony as well. The first one in who knew how long? Too long.

Joy filled the Ark, and peace settled over them as the two couples basked in blissful love.

It couldn't last, could it? Megatron still prowled the periphery of their awareness, a distant storm, waiting to break.

He attacked like a violent storm, but the Autobots, bolstered by the happiness they had been longing for, fought back with a ferocity he wasn't expecting.

And Starscream and Optimus were at the middle, fighting as one.

Megatron descended upon the Prime, tackling him.

Starscream turned and threw out an elbow into the center of Megatron's back while Optimus kicked him in the knee.

"Traitor!" he bellowed at the Seeker.

"Murderer!" Starscream shrieked back.

"Then the wretched little organic died afterall."

"No, but you meant him too!" Starscream leapt onto his back and dug his pedes in.

"He came between us!"

"Because you chose to see it that way!"

"Everything was fine until he showed up and took you from me!"

Starscream's expression turned sad. "No, Megatron, it wasn't fine."

The tank froze, Optimus in a lock. "What do you mean?"

"You were already changing. We had won, and the Autobots had fled from Cybertron, yet you insisted we follow them to far reaches of space from the home we had finally won back, what had been our original and true goal.

Megatron's optics widened as he considered that.

"You were already losing me."

The tank dropped Optimus, no longer interested in the Prime. "Starscream..."

The Seeker held up a servo as he came close. "No, Megatron. There's no going back for us. But for you, maybe."

"Cybertron is still there. Go back, send the remaining Autobots here, peacefully, and let any who wish to join them go as well. Let the war end and people choose where they wish to call home as you once swore you would."

Megatron looked up at the sky where every Cybertronian knew their star was. "You're right." He murmured. "Starscream, I don't have a right to ask you this... But may I kiss you good-bye?"

Starscream hesitated, glancing at Optimus."

Optimus brushed his spark against Starscream's. He wasn't about to be jealous of the defeated. Starscream responded with amusement before giving Megatron a nod.

The warlord stepped forward and kissed him softly.

Starscream kissed him back, before stepping away and going to Optimus's side. The Convoy put an arm around Starscream's waist. Megatron and Prime glared at each other briefly before the Decepticon Leader turned away.

"Decepticons! Stand down!"

The Decepticons organized around their leader and retreated, leaving the Autobots and the Ark. A cheer went up as the news made its way through the camp that they were leaving for good. But two Decepticons remained behind: Soundwave and Knock Out.

Ratbat and Akos loved being around the Autobot Companions, and Cas especially, since they happily remembered the Seeker's kind human.

And since Soundwave and his casettes were a package deal, all of them had to stay together.

Still, this time around, the Autobots tried to be better about the two new bots than they had been about Starscream, having learned not to judge. Peace settled over the Ark, and one afternoon Optimus, Starscream, Cas, and Max were relaxing in their quarters. "Star." "Yes, Mini?" Cas smiled up at him. "Think you're up for making... a birthing nest?"

"Why, yes, Mini. In fact, I'm up for making two of them." Starscream smiled down at his Companion.

Their respective mates stared at them.

The two Carriers laughed and turned to kiss their mates. "Surprise." Starscream whispered.


End file.
